


A Nice Cup of Tea

by ZinogreVolt



Category: K-On!
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:47:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 126,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24587815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZinogreVolt/pseuds/ZinogreVolt
Summary: Under unusual circumstances, a male student finds himself attending the otherwise all-girls Sakuragaoka High School. Furthermore, he becomes a member of the school's Light Music Club. Love, friendship, and revelations will be found aplenty as each member grows up and discovers more about themselves.My first major fic, any and all feedback is appreciated.
Relationships: Hirasawa Yui/Original Character
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Out Of Your Element

The unfamiliar is often considered one of humanity’s biggest fears. Now more than ever, I understand such a sentiment.

I found myself in the halls of Sakuragaoka High School, the place I’d be attending for the next few years. It’s an all-girls school, but under some “special” circumstances, I’d been allowed to attend as per the request of the school’s headmaster. I’m a guinea pig of sorts, just meant to test the waters on how women and young girls would react to a boy roaming the premises and being part of daily life. So that’s one reason why I’m standing here, unmoving like a deer in headlights. The second, because I’m not actually from Japan.

My name’s Leo Katnua, while I am part Japanese, I grew up in the United Kingdom for most of my life. I’d only moved to Japan about a month ago, and while I’m getting used to the language, the customs of this land is kind of another story. So that’s why I’m standing here, my knees quaking with every girl who walked past me.

‘Where is she?’ I thought, impatiently looking down at my wristwatch. There were only so many leering eyes and whispers a person would be willing to take. I didn’t mind the view, the girls weren’t unpleasant despite me no doubt just being a topic of conversation to some of them. Some of them were even quite cute. But I’d kept my head down and averted my gaze, it wouldn’t do well to be mistaken for a pervert on the first day. “Oh!” An audible voice of an adult woman spoke up.

I turned, and let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god.” I said in English. The voice was that of the lady who’d be assisting me for the first few days. “Sawako-sensei.” I said, giving a modest wave. “Ah, there you are, little Katnua.” ‘Little?’ I hung on that word, I was nearly half a foot taller than her, but whatever, I guess. “As you were already informed, I’ll be guiding you around the school and its various facilities over the next week.” She said, slowly turning her mug of joe as she watched the brown liquid’s waves splash around its edges. “First, we ought to get the most important step out of the way first and get you to your homeroom class. I’ll lead the way.” She said, taking a graceful turn that I’m almost positive she’d rehearsed several times beforehand to make herself look cooler.

She led me down the school’s various halls, as expected, we got looks from the girls we’d been passing the whole time. Some of the looks were curious, some were worried, some were excited, and some were downright terrified. I felt a little bad about the whole thing and tilted my head down in order to avert these gazes. Some girls go to these types of schools specifically to avoid men, so isn’t it a bit messed up to bring me here as a student despite that? “Hey, c’mon now.” Sawako said, knowing my head was down despite hers not turning. “First days are never the best, but it’s important to make a good first impression anyway.”

My head lifted slightly, she was right. Even if I cause some discord on the first day, it’s important that I do my best now, or I may regret it. “Yeah.” I said with a nod. “Anyway…” Sawako’s footsteps came to a halt. “We’ve arrived. Your new home room.” She said with a reassuring smile. We stepped into the classroom, one for first-year students. A lecture was already taking place, a black-haired teacher was writing on chalk, before looking at us who'd just stepped in and gasping. “Oh! I forgot “that” was starting today!” She said with her hand covering her mouth. Um, ‘That’? They’re acting like I’m some top secret experiment by the government. The black-haired teacher cleared her throat, and gestured to myself and Sawako to come in. 

At my first footstep, chatter and whispers ensued. “Huh?” “What, a male?!” “What is HE doing here?!” and “It’s about time.” were the phrases that felt most repeated. I made my way near the teacher’s podium, and greeted my new homeroom teacher, Ms. Arakashi. Sawako also stood next to me. “Now, I’m sure you all have a lot of questions…” Ms. Arakashi said, before being cut off by one outraged student who raised their hand. “Yeah, like what’s a frickin’ GUY doing in this school?!” Her words erupting the rest of the class into an all-out war.

“Now, if we could all just…” Ms. Arakashi started, her words being drowned out by the sound of bickering and protest among her generally peaceful class. “Then I’m sure we could all…” My own thoughts were scattered, as the many incoherent words and voices invaded my eardrums. What followed were the three distinct ‘bang’ sounds, with the last bang leaving an echo upon a now silent room. The perpetrator of the noise was none other than Sawako, who slammed her hand on the teachers’ podium, as if she were some kind of judge wanting court order. She gave a dark smile, sending chills up the spines of the students as if to incur a sort of fear in the students to ensure another outbreak like that won’t occur. “Now…” Ms. Arakashi said in a voice that made her seem sympathetic towards her class “Why don’t you introduce yourself?”

I took a deep breath, and a step forward. Some of the girls moved their seats back a little, some inched closer. I pushed that detail to the back of my head, not wanting it to distract me from making a decent first impression. “My name is Leo Katnua. I’m a first-year…” I said, my thoughts somehow trailing off. “...Um. I’m half-Japanese and half-British. And I grew up in London for most of my life.” A bored looking girl, who seemingly cared about neither my gender nor my heritage, raised her hand and spoke up. “So like, does that mean you can speak English…?” I closed my eyes for a moment and cleared my throat, ‘This is my chance to show off.’ I thought to myself. I opened my eyes and, in English, I said “Yes, I do speak English.” The eyes of some of the students lit up, some gave out impressed shouts and some clapped, though some of the crowd were unimpressed, or chose not to be considering who just said it.

Suddenly, questions came flying in from some of the students. I clenched my fist at the small victory. Though I still had a lot to prove, I could at least ensure my stay in my homeroom wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Some of the questions that came in involved me saying phrases in English, to which I obliged, and others were things like how I became bilingual and what it’s like. Ms. Arakashi put her hand up, giving a motion for the students to stop with the questions. “Alright, alright.” She smiled with the knowledge that at least some of the class had warmed up to me. “If you want to ask Katnua-san more questions, do it after class, okay?” 

“Now, about your seat…” Ms. Arakashi said, putting her hand up to her chin and surveying the classroom. “There!” She pointed to a vacant seat near the back of the classroom. “You’ll sit next to Hirasawa.” The brown-haired girl shot up at her name being called, had she been sleeping through that whole thing. “Are you awake now?” Ms. Arakashi said sarcastically, I’m guessing that this was a regular occurrence for her. Ms. Arakashi turned to me, gesturing to me to take my seat. Before that, Sawako grabbed my shoulder, instructing me to meet her at the faculty office during lunch hour. After that, she waved to myself and the class before skipping out of the room, seemingly proud of a job well done.

I walked down to the aisle to my desk in the back. Some girls stood in place, adjusting to my presence rather quickly, others moved about, wanting to examine me further or stay as far away from me as possible without getting out of their seats. The whole time I was walking, Hirasawa’s eyes were fixated on me. Her head wasn’t moving, but she made sure that her eyes stayed glued to me. The expression she was making in doing this was honestly kind of funny, in a goofy sort of way. I took my seat and she kept staring and staring. Was I that interesting to her?

“Hirasawa!” Ms. Arakashi spoke up. “Stop that and pay attention!” Ms. Arakashi was more commandeering than I’d thought, huh. “Y-Yes, ma’am!” Her eyes now glued to her scary teacher. Hirasawa’s voice was squeaky, yet still a bit mellow sounding. Sort of like a lazy mouse. Since I didn’t have a textbook, I was told to simply follow along with the lecture till I could get properly caught up. I’d pretended to pay attention, but my new neighbor kept making trouble for me. Her eyes were quickly off the teacher as she’d kept looking at me, with cautious curiosity in her eyes. 

I’d exchanged a glance with her and her head quickly turned 180 degrees the other way, with her whistling as if to say ‘I wasn’t looking!’. I turned my head the other way and the whistling came to a halt, I’d turned my head back around and sure enough, her eyes were on me once more. Even though she was caught red-handed, her act persisted and she’d keep turning her head around whenever I’d catch her staring at me. Though admittedly, I also started using this as an excuse to get some glances at her.

Hirasawa was cute. Really, really cute. I don’t know much about her but I do know that. She has a childlike sense of expression and a sort of rhythm to her that I could really only describe as bubbly, if not clumsy. A lot of girls I’d seen in this school were cute, indeed. But she’d definitely caught my eye the most, though perhaps that was simply because she’d seemed a little less than normal, and I sit right next to her. Though considering the circumstances, I guess it’s not really fair of me to say that she seemed too on edge. If you would call whatever she was doing being on edge.

Soon enough, the bell had rang and class was over. It was now the lunch hour, I stretched my legs and slumped back in my chair as the other students dispersed and headed to who knows where. Hirasawa in particular very carefully got out of her chair, before leaving the class in a mad dash. I was exhausted, and really didn’t want to get up. But I had to go see Sawako, and I was kind of starving at this point. I exited the classroom, hanging by the doorway, and briefly froze. Wait, where was I supposed to go again? I facepalmed in realization. “She forgot to give me directions…” I said in English. “Is something wrong?” A girl said from behind me, I moved aside as she was exiting the classroom as well. The girl had long black hair and eyes to match, and had a more mature aura to her compared to some of the other girls here. “Ah.” I suddenly spoke, now speaking in Japanese again. “I’m looking for the faculty room. I have business there, you see.” The black-haired girl gave a smile and turned, “Follow me.” She said as she walked. 

We walked down the hallways of the school, the place almost felt built like a maze, though I wasn't exactly accustomed to Japanese high schools just yet. Much less an all-girls one. “So…” I began, attempting to make small talk to break the silence. “...We’re in the same class, then?” “Yes, it would seem so.” The girl answered. “This whole thing is quite weird for all of us. So don’t worry too much about the sort of eyes and rumors you’ll hear. I’m sure they’ll just go away with time.” I let out a sigh, saying “Yeah, I hope you’re right about that.”

The girl let out a giggle, “You were quite the surprise.” She said, “I’d never seen the class, well, explode like that!” She turned back to me with a smile as our eyes met once more, I had a brief thought but quickly brushed it aside as the girl once again spoke. “You said you’re not from around here, right? Have you been getting used to Japan okay?” I wasn’t fully sure how to answer that. I felt bad at how generic my answer was. “Mm, I suppose.” Her smile faded, and she turned back around, no longer facing me. “Oh.” She said. Come on, did I mess up or something? “To be honest, I still kinda suck with the language. I got lost on the way here because I couldn’t read the kanji in the subway.” She turned back around. I guess I got her attention back? 

“Hm, yes, I’ve read that foreigners often have a lot of trouble reading and understanding kanji.” She turned back around, her finger placed on her lip as her head tilted upward toward a lamp lighting the hallway. “I wonder why that is?” Kanji’d always given me trouble ever since I first moved here. Despite how much I’d studied the language, it was so variable in how characters were structured that I couldn’t keep up. I’d often misinterpret the meaning of some kanji, or just not understand it flat out. “I could use a lesson on it sometime…” I thought aloud.

We stopped, arriving at our destination. “Well, you wouldn’t be the only person I’d have to tutor.” She said, giving an odd look that suggested someone rather annoying was on her mind. “What do you mean by that?” I asked. She stepped away, saying “It doesn’t matter…” She began walking away, “Well, I’d better get going. See you around!” I extended my arm, “Ah, wait! Um, thanks...And, can I get your name?” The girl turned, and gave a smile as she spoke “Akiyama Mio.” She said, giving a wave before turning around and exiting the scene. That brief thought I had earlier resurfaced as I’d watched her leave. ‘Did I just make a friend?’

Questions for later, I suppose. I entered the faculty room, and Sawako was the only one there. Eating lunch as she’d awaited my arrival. I walked up to her, “Sawako-sensei, you told me to come here earlier.” She’d spun her chair towards me, folding her arms and crossing her legs, giving a smile. “Indeed I did. I just wanted to see how your first class went, and give you some advice on where to go from here.” I nodded, scratching my cheek. “Well, after you left, things went fine for the most part. Some of the girls still gave me glances and stuff, but they minded their business otherwise.” Sawako perked her glasses up to her face, “That’s good. So long as you’re not being given any trouble, I suppose. Have you thought about joining any clubs?” Clubs? That was not so much as a twinkle in my eye. I’d have to learn my way around the school first, and would anyone even want me on account of being a man? “No, not really.” I replied, my response on the matter not fully reflecting my actual thoughts.

“Well,” Sawako said, putting up a finger, “If you want to make a name for yourself, as well as a reputation, I’d recommend you get on that ASAP. You won’t know what kind of opportunities await you till you try.” Well, I guess it was worth a shot. The worst that happens is that I get rejected, or get called a pervert or something. “Hmm...Well, you do make a compelling point.”  
Sawako clapped her hands together, as if to put a definitive end on that topic despite me not giving her a straight answer. “Good!” She said, moving her chair closer to me. “Now then…” Her voice became hushed as she flashed a wicked smile with invasive eyes that wanted to pry my head open. “Who do you have your eyes on?” My face ever so slightly reddened and as my eyes widened and I took a step back in shock. Can’t she be fired for even ASKING something like this? “U-Uh, what?” 

Sawako grabbed me by the collar and pulled me very close to her face. I could feel and smell her hot breath on my face, it absolutely reeked of black coffee. This would be a pretty terrible scene for someone to walk in on. I gave her a vague answer that ought to satisfy her enough to let me go. “U-um, it’s someone in my class!” The answer wasn’t really truthful, but it’s the first thing she’d believe without prying into the life of a specific student. She let me go, laughing like a mad man. “Hahaha, I should have figured as much.” Her grin suddenly widened. Don’t worry, I’ll get you two hitched real soon.” 

Does she even know what she’s saying? I played along, not wanting another taste of her coffee breath. “Haha, well, yeah. I’ll be going now.” I said, wanting to make a swift retreat. I escaped the faculty room and leaned on a nearby wall, catching my breath. I wonder why I even gave her an answer? There was nobody in that classroom I had even the slightest interest in.

But then, I recognized the image in the back of my head. An image of that strange girl who sat next to me. I sighed, my thoughts puzzled. “What have I gotten myself into?”


	2. A Slow Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some time after enrolling at Sakuragaoka, Leo is at a loss on what club to join. At the request of Mio and Ritsu, he joins the Light Music Club. Things seem like they're going well at first, until a familiar face shows themselves...

Hi, I’m Leo Katnua. I’m a male student attending an all-girls school, Sakuragaoka High School. Things started rough to say the least. There are, of course, some girls who are concerned at my presence. But I think I’ve begun to carve my own niche here. It’s been about five days and slowly, but surely I’ve come to accept this strange new environment I find myself in. As I find myself adrift in my own recollections, the school bell rang. Time for lunch.

I looked around the classroom, and Tainaka gave me a wave as she donned a big grin on her face. Ritsu Tainaka was her full name, and we became friends not long after I started attending Sakuragaoka, thanks to Mio Akiyama. She’s apparently quite the troublemaker and has a tomboy streak, but she was cute and pleasant to be around in her own high-energy way. I approached her and she yanked my hand as we blitzed through the hallways. There was a breeze on my face as we ran. “Tainaka, would you slow down just a little bit!?” As I said that, I bumped my head on a corner. “Augh!”

“No way!” Tainaka protested as she kept pace, she did a lot of sports when she was younger and it really shows. “D’you wanna be first in line for lunch or what!?” I wasn’t even moving my legs at this point, I was more like a sail on a boat. Or a flag. “Yeah, but I’d like to get there alive!” I yelled against the wind. “Nuh-uh!” Tainaka said as we zipped and weaved through the various halls and corners that served as our obstacles. We kind of just ran over whoever was in our way, if they didn’t step aside. “It’s a high-risk, high-reward world out there!” She said rhythmically as she caught her breath. Sure enough, we managed to make it to the home front before anyone else. 

I barely ran much as Tainaka practically carried me after a little while, but man, why do I feel so damn tired? My hands were on my knees as I caught my breath. I looked up at Tainaka who sported a cheeky and proud grin. “What’d I tell ya?” She said, walking into the kitchen. Man, she barely broke a sweat. Or am I just that out of shape? I followed behind her at the sound of the stampede known as the rest of the student body now walking into the cafeteria. 

I got my usual. Food at Sakuragaoka was good, but clearly meant for girls so the servings were often rather small. I didn’t mind it that much though. How food was served here was a lot different from the UK. Preps wore masks and the food was handmade as opposed to being the sort of stuff you could cook on a dime. I got the same thing I got every day, curry and rice with some milk. Tainaka got udon, which was apparently her favorite thing from the menu. We sat at our table, near the windows, and Akiyama joined us not long after.

“Wait!” Tainaka said in disbelief. “How’d you get your lunch so fast?” Akiyama lifted a bento box with a deadpan look on her face. “Oh.” She dryly responded as Akiyama took her seat next to Tainaka. She had a homemade meal consisting of leftovers and various fridge-fillers. Tainaka turned to Akiyama’s box and left her elbow on the table as she examined its various goods. Akiyama looked up at me, asking. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” I said in English, before returning to Japanese “I’ve just never seen this kind of thing up close.” A small smile formed on Akiyama’s face. “Do you want to try some?” Her question caused my face to redden a little. It might seem like small potatoes to them, but my life was never quite this exciting. I sheepishly bowed my head and stumbled on the words exiting my mouth. “Y-Yeah.” Tainaka slammed her hand on the table, raising the other and declaring “I want some too!” with a confident smile. Akiyama gave an exasperated sigh and a defeated “Fine.” I guess Tainaka wasn’t the type to back off so easily with this. Tainaka clenched her fist in victory as Akiyama began to pick out what to feed me.

“Alright,” she said as she decided on a piece of omelette. She skillfully lifted it with her chopsticks and said “Ahhh…” I closed my eyes to hide from my own embarrassment, responding with an “Ahh…” of my own. Akiyama giggled, since my eyes were closed, I didn’t know what she was laughing at. I hope it wasn’t because of how red my cheeks were. “What is it?” I asked. “N-nothing!” She said as if she were caught in some act. That isn’t concerning at all. “Anyway…” She said as she practically shoved the food in my mouth in order to change the subject. “How is it?” She asked as I chewed.

I swallowed. It was a pretty basic omelette at the end of the day, but it looked rather refined. “Good.” I said with a satisfied smile, being rewarded with a particularly cute smile from Akiyama, before her face suddenly shifted at the realization of something. “Oh!” She said as her soft fingers were suddenly on my head. Despite how nice her skin felt, I found myself wincing from the sting of her touch. “Agh!” I yelped as I reeled back ever so slightly. “Sorry!” Akiyama apologized frantically as she took her hand away quickly, before slowly returning it to my head injury, “What happened here?” She asked. Right, I’d bumped my head earlier.

“Had a bit of a mishap on the way here.” I stated dryly, not trying to pin the blame on anyone in particular. My efforts were in vain however, as Akiyama immediately turned to Tainaka with accusatory eyes that stabbed into her. Tainaka tried playing it cool, complete with whistling that only made her seem more suspicious. “I didn’t--” Tainaka began her defense, only for it to be immediately shot down by Akiyama as she pulled on her cheeks in frustration. “Ow! Ow! Ow!” Tainaka said as her cheeks turned red from being pulled on so hard. I thought it was kind of funny, but felt kind of bad as Akiyama ruthlessly pulled at her. I cleared my throat, causing Akiyama to stop and return to normal in embarrassment. Tainaka gave a long-winded “Oooow…” as she slowly rubbed her undoubtedly sore cheeks.

“S-So…” Akiyama said, frantically trying to change the subject after her ferocious display. “H-Hey!” Tainaka roared, not wanting to so easily forgive what she’d been through. Akiyama blurted out what I could only assume was an attempt to save face and asked. “S-So have you thought about joining a club yet?” She said with false laughter in an attempt to distract me from Tainaka’s meddling. I decided to humor her.

“No, actually. I’ve been told by my advisor, Sawako-sensei. But to be honest, I feel too embarrassed to try.” Akiyama and Tainaka gave a synchronized nod in understanding. “I tried signing up for the volleyball club, but I got called a pervert and had balls thrown at me.” I said, my body slowly caving in on itself out of depression as I recalled more and more of the heinous event. Tainaka and Akiyama sat in a kind of shock. Before returning to their sense of selves and putting their faces near mine, they shared a smile that seemed to suggest they had the same idea. I wonder what they were thinking? “D’you have anything planned after school?” Tainaka asked, coming to my side and slinging her arm over my shoulders. Does she even know the meaning of personal space? “U-um…” I weakly responded. I went home and didn’t really do much after school, though I wasn’t going to so easily admit that I didn’t have much of a life.

Akiyama approached my unoccupied side, my face was looking at the ground in embarrassment now. “You don’t, do you?” She asked in a sweet voice, one that I found difficult to deny. Much less lie to. “I don’t…” I said in a shameful defeat. At least I don’t have to look for a club myself anymore, maybe. “Good!” Tainaka said excitedly as she came closer, I could feel her breath on my face at this point, and I could smell her shampoo. It smelled really quite pleasant, but I was equal parts embarrassed at someone being so touchy feely. 

Akiyama clasped my hand and gave me a smile that could only be described as radiant. God, what is happening to me right now? I tried to avert my eyes because it was literally becoming too much for me. Is this their way of bribing someone? “Can you come with us after class, then?” No, really. WHAT did they have in mind? I gulped and weakly nodded. The two girls smiled, with Tainaka giving an excited “Yeah!” as they finally gave me my space back. I was to meet them after school, for … Something? 

Soon after, the final bell of the day rang. And students exited the classroom to either go home or go to their obligations. I got up from my seat, with my desk neighbor Hirasawa now out of the picture as she excitedly bolted out of the room. I wonder where she was heading? I guess it makes no difference to me. I walked out the door, where Akiyama and Tainaka were waiting for me. “So, what’s this thing you wanted to show me? A club?”

Tainaka gave a proud huff. “That’s for us to know and for you to find out.” Akiyama gave an unamused sigh, she didn’t want to play along, it seems. “Follow us.” Akiyama said as she turned around and led the way. The halls were mostly empty as students had either left school or were hauled up inside their own club rooms. We walked up the ever quiet stairs, into a part of the building I didn’t recognize. “Hey, Akiyama, Tainaka, where are we?” I asked curiously. Akiyama answered, “We’re in a part of the school mostly reserved for club activities and such.” Ah, I guess that’s why I’d never bother coming here, then. 

This part of the school is...odd. I’d keep hearing lots of funny noises beneath the ambience of the hallways. Like ghosts in some abandoned hospital. It contrasted the gentle sunlight pouring into the windows, but still. My eyes wandered into the open door of one of the club rooms. Why was the light purple? And do I hear...boiling? I turned away from the door, no longer allowing my eyes and mind to wander. What’s out of sight is out of mind, as they say.

Thankfully, my mind was easily taken off of it as we’d arrived at our destination. “We’re here!” Tainaka announced as she’d excitedly flung the door open. Tainaka and Akiyama walked in before me, apparently there were two other club members. Quite small compared to other clubs, but I guess it’s appeal was niche, anyway. I walked in behind them, and a voice greeted them. “Ah, Ritsu, Mio. Welcome!” 

A girl with long blonde hair and big eyebrows gave a positively dazzling smile as she greeted them, as if she were some sort of doll. She was holding a set of tea and gave a gasp at the sight of me. “Ah!” I gave a gulp, why do I not like that reaction? “He’s our new club member!?” She said, rushing towards me as she analyzed my body. Akiyama had a deadpan look on her face while Tainaka gave a devious one. She circled me multiple times, like some kind of dog or shark and kept saying things “Hm.” or “I see.” to herself. What is she seeing, exactly?

“Mr. Katnua!” The girl looked up at me with serious eyes that I found hard to take seriously just because of how big they were. “U-Uh, yeah…?” She inched closer to me. “Do you plan on joining us!?” She asked. Why was she so excited about such a prospect? “I dunno yet…” I said, averting my eyes from hers. Upon my words, she’d immediately gotten behind me and pushed me into a seat. Tainaka also sat in front of me with a form to sign, her face also donning a comically serious look. Akiyama stood there with a face that communicated that she was having none of what they were having. I guess she’s this group’s straight man, er, woman.

I picked up the form and examined it. The blonde girl poured me some tea while Tainaka continued to just...look at me. Was this some sort of interrogation, or a job interview? I don’t know… Anyway, the form was for my entry into the Light Music Club, or Keion as it was called here. “I didn’t know you were one for formalities, Tainaka.” I said as I took out a pen. “Of course!” She raised a finger. “Gotta know what instrument you play, after all!” 

“Couldn’t you just ask me normally?” I asked as I looked down and began signing the form. “Where’s the professionalism in that?” She asked. “As if you’re one to care about that.” Akiyama immediately intervened. The blonde girl and I gave a chuckle as Tainaka gave a hilarious pout in defeat. “Anyway,” I said, passing her back the form, “Here. This’ll do, right?”

Tainaka snatched up the form, she studied it pretty closely despite there not even being much writing on it. “Violin, huh?” Akiyama and the blonde girl looked at the form at the word, violin wasn’t an uncommon instrument but from the way they reacted I could only guess no one in their group actually played it. “Did you play this back home?” The blonde girl asked, I nodded. “Yeah, see, at my old school this sort of thing was required for my curriculum. So learning that just kinda happened.” I explained while giving a visual demonstration with my hands. “I see.” The blonde nodded inquisitively. 

Tainaka gave a hearty chuckle, “Welp, good enough!” She said, slamming down the paper. “Wait, what?” I interjected. “Don’t you, like, wanna see me play first?” I said as my brow dropped. “What, are you lying or something?” She said with an irritating grin. “No.” I said flatly. “Then that’s all there is to it!” I sat there, a little dumbfounded. Akiyama came into the conversation, with an equally annoyed face. “Ritsu, you really have to think these things through…” Tainaka turned her head to Akiyama, replying with “I think plenty! Anyway!” She said turning back to me and extending a hand. “Welcome to the Light Music Club!” 

Tainaka’s face beamed with absolute glee. I looked down at her hand, and mine slowly began to creep up to shake it. Was I really gonna be brought in so easily? I mean, it’d be nice to have a place where I felt as if I really belonged in this school. And all the girls here seemed nice enough, if a bit eccentric. If a shot in this club was to be taken, it had to be now. I clenched my fist before firmly taking Tainaka’s hand. “Thanks for having me.” I said, forcing a smile.

I looked around the room, and the other girls seemed relieved to see me accept their offer. That ironically made me feel more relieved, it felt like I’d made the right choice even if it were a rash one. “Now, our first order of business for our new member!” Ritsu said as she circled the table. “Hm?” I inquired in confusion. “Introductions!” She said flashing a boisterous smile. “Oh.” I said, looking up at the blonde girl from earlier and getting out of my seat. “I guess I’m not acquainted with everyone here, am I?”

I walked over to her and I was about a foot taller than her. Now that I got a look at her up close, she was really cute. “Ah!” The girl was startled and looked to the floor, her face had gone red. Was she maybe not used to being around men? “Woah!” Tainaka shouted. “Oh my!” Akiyama said suddenly. “H-Huh? What?” I said, taking a step back from the girl. “This new member’s already making things interesting.” Tainaka said with yet another irritating smirk, her hand to her chin.

“What did I do…?” I said, kind of dumbfounded. I held my hands up as if I were some sort of apprehended criminal. “Y-You…” The blonde girl started… “You called me cute…” She said, looking up at me with innocent eyes that immediately struck guilt into my very being. I bowed in apology, and Tainaka burst out laughing. “Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! I was just thinking out loud!”  
“You…” She looked away from me, with a sheepish expression donning her face. She honestly looked more adorable like this. “You think I’m cute?” I stood up, facing away from her. “Well, yeah.”

She looked back at me with an elated expression. It’s a relief to know she doesn’t think I’m some kind of creep. “Thank you.” She said with a bow. What an oddly polite girl. “U-Uhm…” I stood there, awkwardly, for a few seconds. “I’m--” I put my hand on my chest as I was cut off. “Leo Katnua, I know.” The girl said. “Huh? How did you…?” She giggled. “You’re the talk of a lot of the school! How could I not know?” 

I sheepishly scratched the back of my head. “A-Ah…Well, could I get your name, since you have mine?” She smiled. “Kotobuki Tsumugi.” She raised a finger. “Ah, but you can just call me Mugi.” I nodded, “Okay, Mugi, then.” I said, granting her request. “Hey!” Tainaka’s voice interjected. “You’re on a nickname basis with her but only call us by our last names?! What’s the deal with that?” 

I turned to Tainaka, deadpan. “‘Cuz Mugi’s cute.” I said sternly, my statement being rewarded by a modest giggle from Mugi. “You sayin’ I’m not?!” Tainaka roared. “D’you want me to answer that truthfully?” Well, if I were, I'd have to admit that she is cute. But boy, did she have a mouth. So I didn’t wanna give her that satisfaction. Tainaka gave an annoyed, but determined sigh. “What about Mio, you don’t think she’s cute?” Uh-oh, she pulled the wild card. Akiyama’s face reddened slightly, she wondered why she was suddenly being brought into this. “Ritsu, what are you--” Tainaka cut her off, challenging me. “C’mon, you gonna admit it?” I cleared my throat, and uttered one name.

“Mio.” Tainaka and Akiyama were both equally shocked. “Fweh?! Katnua!” Akiyama said, her face now completely red. Maybe I was going a bit too far with this, so I modestly laughed it off in hopes of escaping this strange conversation. “T-This conversation is entirely too inappropriate for a club room setting.” Akiyama said with her ears covered, not wanting to be embarrassed any further. “Yeah, right.” My eyes awkwardly darted away from the other girls. “Hmph!” Tainaka huffed, not wanting to let go of the conversation but admitting defeat anyway.

A bit of time passed, and we’d sat in our seats eating sweets and drinking tea. I wondered aloud “What does this club do, anyway?” Tainaka replied “Isn’t it obvious, we play Light Music!” She proudly huffed. “Whole lot of music playing we’re doing.” I said sarcastically while swishing my tea around. “Well...You see, we worked our butts off yesterday. So we’re taking a bit of a break today. You caught us on an off day, is all!” Tainaka said, averting my gaze. “We did this yesterday, too.” Akiyama calmly said, sipping her tea. Akiyama wasn’t one to lie, so I immediately caught onto what was happening here.

“I think I get it now.” I said, leaning back in my chair and pointing my teacup towards Tainaka. “It’s a club for slackers, huh?” Tainaka’s mouth was agape, though no words came out. I guess I was right on the money. “Well, we do play music here. But I’d say that accounts for only about 10 percent of what we actually do here.” “Fine by me.” I said “I’m cool with not working hard if I don’t have to.” Tainaka sighed, possibly in relief. “Well, if you’re fine with it…” She said, her eyes averted. I took a sip from my tea to the sound of club door clattering open. “Sorry, I’m late again!” An oddly familiar voice greeted.

I looked up from my drink, and my eyes widened as they met an oh so familiar brown-haired girl. “H-Hirasawa....?” I said in disbelief. What are the odds? Don’t tell me she’s a club member here? So much for having a place of acceptance in this school. “There you are...Uh, Yui?” Tainaka said, giving a wave to her unresponsive friend. Hirasawa let out a confused shriek, startling me out of my seat and onto the floor, my tea landing squarely on my face. “H-Hey!” Tainaka said worriedly. “What’s wrong?” Akiyama asked.

Mugi came to me with a towel, wiping off my now candied face. “Are you alright?” She asked.. “M-More or less.” I said, sitting up. I looked at Hirasawa, who’s eyes darted into me. Her mouth was moving, but no real words came out, just “Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh-Wh…” She kept murmuring as if she were on the verge of tears. I knew I bothered her based on how she always looked at me in class, but I didn’t think it was this bad. “Yui, what is it?” Akiyama said, shaking her. “Really! You scared our new member half to death!” Tainaka shouted.

“N-N-N-N-New member?!?” Hirasawa shouted. “B-But...He’s…” She stammered, visibly having trouble finding the words to express the evidently intense emotions she was feeling at the moment. “A guy? Yeah, it’s weird, but…” Tainaka began, wanting to make sense of all this. “Not that!” Hirasawa cried out. Tainaka deadpanned, that wasn’t the problem? What a hard to read girl. “The-Then what is it?!” Tainaka demanded an answer. Hirasawa stummered and stammered. She couldn’t get the words out. Eventually, she sat in a corner, her eyes still squarely on me. I’m not even sure she was blinking.

“Look, this ain’t your fault.” Tainaka reassured me, though that didn’t wipe the guilty look on my face. Hirasawa was a weird one, but I still felt as if I triggered something in her that caused her to act this way. “Yeah.” I sighed, “But what do we do about this? She can’t just stay like that, can she?” “We’ve already got a plan. For now, we’re going to need you to have a seat at the table.” Akiyama said to me. “Uh, okay…” I said, getting up and flipping over the chair I spectacularly fell over in, and took a seat. 

Tainaka and Akiyama were watching what was happening from behind a corner, I watched from my table. It seems Mugi was taking the lead, and quietly talking to Hirasawa in the corner. Maybe she was calming her down? “Yui, I brought some yummy new sweets today!” Wait, what? “Sweets?” Hirasawa looked up to her at the words. “Yep, and they’re all yours if you come take a seat at the table.” She wasn’t seriously being coerced with sweets, was she?

“The tab-- Buh!” She looked over to me. I guess that’s why they had me sit here, huh? Draw her into the trap with some bait? I didn’t move an inch, I feel like I’d scare her if I’d try waving or something. She gulped. “I--I’ll try.” Hirasawa looked at her destination with grit and determination. Tainaka silently clenched her fist in victory. Akiyama turned to me, putting her lip to her mouth in a way that told me to stay silent. A gave a modest thumbs up in response, before she turned around and examined Hirasawa once more.

Hirasawa inched closer to the table, slowly but surely. Mugi patiently followed behind her, with a smile on her face the whole time. Her feet skittered and scattered across the floor, each sound of her foot hitting the floor being a reminder of her reward for overcoming this trial. I tried to keep my own emotions in check and keep a blank face, so as to not scare her and be back at square one. I’m a little surprised she had such a hard time with this, don’t we sit right next to each other?

Eventually, Hirasawa’s foot hit the end of the table. “Ah…” She gasped, she reached her goal. Wanting her reward, she reached for a snack. It seemed like a cookie with some jelly filling. Mugi promptly moved the snack from her. “Would you please take a seat, Yui?” Mugi said sweetly. “T-That wasn’t--” Hirasawa tried to say. Mugi repeated, her voice getting ever so slightly more stern in a way that I didn’t know she was capable of. “Would you please?” Hirasawa gulped, before nodding.

Hirasawa slowly inched the chair from underneath the table. Now this, I’d recognize. I consistently beat her to our seats before class since she’s not exactly what you’d call an early bird. So she’d repeat this process every time without fail. The wood of the floor made a slightly irritating screech as the seat dragged across the floor. Finally, she was done pulling out the seat.

Now came the part where I’d sort of have to cooperate in order to speed up the process. She would slowly move into her seat as she’d watch me, so I would have to look away in order to get her into her seat faster, since she’d be less afraid to move if my eyes were far from her. I’d looked out the window, and sure enough as soon as I’d turned back around, she’s already in her seat. “Good job, Yui!” Mugi said, clasping her own hands like some kind of proud mother. 

“Mugi!” Hirasawa said, playfully slamming her hands on the table and awaiting her reward. “Right, you earned it!” She said, handing a plate of jelly cookies to her. I looked down at the plate in front of me, as she’d handed some to me as well, I turned to Mugi, confused. “What’s this?” Mugi tilted her head towards Hirasawa, who was too busy dining on her reward to notice our scheming. “Oh…” I said, looking down at my plate, having just caught onto the club’s plan.

I took one of the cookies and nibbled at it for a prolonged period of time. It was really good, so it was hard not to swallow the whole thing right then and there. Before long, Hirasawa’s plate was cleared and she was left sulking. Time for me to go into action. “Hey.” I greeted her, my one word causing Hirasawa to jolt her head up and stare at me with widened eyes as she would in class. The other club members watched me in silent anticipation. No pressure, I guess.

I took a deep breath, and put my plan into motion. I slowly slid my plate of cookies over to her, and her head slowly tilted down at my gesture. She looked at me and asked “You mean it…?” We all gasped. Yui Hirasawa spoke to me, and it was a coherent sentence at that! Now I was the one suddenly stammering, “U-Uh...Yeah!” She slowly slid my plate closer to herself, and took a cookie off the plate.

She examined the cookie thoroughly. What, was she checking for poison or something? She gave it a huff of air as if it were dropped on the floor, before biting on it with a contrarily careless look on her face. She swallowed, and the room was in silence. She then devoured the rest of the cookie, before downing the rest of the plate. A satisfied “Ahhh…” from her filled the room. “Those cookies were the best, Mugi. Oh, can I get some tea?”

“Coming right up!” Mugi responded with her face positively beaming. “Thanks for the cookies!” Hirasawa said gratefully. “Yeah...Sure.” “Is something wrong?” Hirasawa tilted her head curiously. “N-Nothing, it’s just...You ARE Hirasawa, right?” I asked, bewildered. “Yep.” She answered confidently. “Like... the girl who sits next to me in class?” I asked again, not fully satisfied with the answer she gave. “Mmhm.” She stated matter-of-factly. Myself, Tainaka and Akiyama breathed a sigh of relief. I was now holding a normal conversation with Hirasawa. At the same time, Mugi finished pouring her tea.

“Thanks, Mugi!” Yui said, smiling. It was a really cute smile, now that I got to see it for myself. She took a sip, with another satisfied “Ahhh…” Well, whatever, I guess that settles that whole dilemma. “You know…” Hirasawa started. “Hm, what is it?” I asked. “I was kinda worried around you at first, but you seem like a nice person.” Wait, was that a compliment? And, worried about WHAT? I sighed as my mind began to ponder. My thoughts were cut short by Tainaka placing her hand on my shoulder, and Akiyama coming near me. “Nice work!” Tainaka said, congratulating me.

“I...Don’t really think I did anything…” I said, as I watched the charismatic enigma in front of me down her tea and eat more sweets. “Is she...normally like this?” Akiyama nodded. “Yes. That freakout she had earlier was really quite something. I wonder what the cause was?” Tainaka took a seat, taking a bite out of her cake and saying “We can ask her later, for now, let’s just relax after a hard day’s work.” Akiyama sighed. “Oh, Ritsu, we still haven’t actually practiced yet…” She then looked towards Hirasawa, who was back to normal and chatting with Mugi about various loose topics as she tended to do. A smile formed across her face. “But I suppose you’re right. Good job, everyone!” 

Afterwards, we talked about a lot of different things. They mainly caught me up on the happenings of the Light Music Club before I’d joined. It was apparently formed pretty recently, and only consisted of the four before I’d joined today. And there was this one time where the club was in jeopardy because Hirasawa failed an important test. “Ha, are you serious? That’s too good!” Hirasawa pouted. “It was not! I tried really hard on it, alright?!”

Eventually, Hirasawa broke the conversation in favor of something else. “Oh, we have to think of a nickname for you, Leo!” I raised an eyebrow, “Is Leo not good enough?” Hirasawa stomped her foot in protest. “Of course not! Now, time to brainstorm!” I looked at Akiyama and Tainaka, with a puzzled look on my face. “Does she always do this too?” The two donned stupid looking smiles, with Akiyama answering “Um, no.” I sighed, as Hirasawa fired off nicknames for me. This went on for only a few minutes, as it had gotten late, we all decided it was time to go home.

We said our goodbyes and parted ways, but before that, Akiyama grabbed my shoulder. “How was it?” I pondered for a minute, there were various words that filled my mind as I’d thought about what precisely it was that transpired today. “It was...erratic.” Akiyama gave a curious hum. “But it was also a lot of fun. A sort of fun I haven’t had in a long time, either.” Akiyama giggled, “Well, we are a strange bunch.” We turned opposite directions as we headed home. “You certainly are.” I laughed back. “Be seeing you.” Akiyama said. “Likewise.”

So my first day with the Light Music Club drew to a close. It was a weird one, for sure. And I can’t help but wonder what Hirasawa meant by what she said earlier? On the topic of her, I hope that eventual nickname isn't too embarrassing. I sighed, a smile formed upon my face unconsciously as I walked out of the building to be greeted by the scarlet sunset.

Light Music Club, huh? I think I like it.


	3. Days of Autumn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Leo is further integrated into the Light Music Club, he and the girls take the time to try and become closer.

Chapter 3: Days of Autumn

Hello again. I’m Leo Katnua, a male attending Sakuragaoka High School, an all-girls school. Though by now, you already know that. It’s been two and a half weeks since I started my enrollment, and life has gotten busier and busier. First, I joined the Light Music Club. Though the name might imply that we play music, the name is really just a front as it's a club for slacking off and doing anything but actually playing music. Second, I became friends with Yui Hirasawa, the girl who sits next to me in class. She started off not wanting anything to do with me, but she really is a sweet girl when you get to know her.

Speaking of that certain someone, I was walking down the hallway, minding my own business, till she ran up to me. I grimaced, although I didn’t let her see it. To be honest, I hated when the girls I knew walked with me. Not only did it make me nervous just being around them, but some of the girls in the school gave me weird looks when I walked with them. I didn’t want to be seen as some kind of playboy, so I kept my distance from her. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Hirasawa asked as she approached me. I pretended not to notice what she meant. “Huh? Nothing’s wrong.” I lied. She only inched closer to me as a response. I couldn’t keep moving around the hallways forever, so I sighed and stopped. “What do you need, anyway?” I asked. “Well, Nodoka’s out sick today, so I was hoping we could eat lunch together, since you normally eat alone.” As I’d learned over the past week or so, Hirasawa was quite good at making casual deep cuts. Her words got a chuckle from some of the spectator’s in the hallway, much to my embarrassment.

I said under my breath “You didn’t have to say it like that.” Before clearing my throat and saying to her, “Well, I’ve got some business to attend to today, so it’ll have to wait.” Hirasawa excitedly said “Then I’ll come with you! Two is better than one, right?” I would really, really rather not be seen with any girl in the hallway. The reason I tend to spend time by myself during school was to downplay the rumors. But Hirasawa was both more persistent and less understanding of my worries, so she wasn’t one to give a person space when they asked for it. I gave a defeated sigh, “What’s the worst that can happen, I guess…” To which Hirasawa cheered.

“So, where are we headed, Le-Le…?” I immediately jolted up at the name. Right, her ‘nickname’. Despite my protests, she continued to call me that embarrassing nickname. In front of other people, no less… “Hirasawa, please. Stop calling me that. At least outside.”  
“But Le-Le is Le-Le!” She said firmly, “Oh, and I thought I said to call me Yui!” I raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with Hirasawa?” She stomped her foot, declaring “My last name is too formal! It feels like I’m talking to a teacher!” Hirasawa whined, she’s a nice girl, generally speaking, but she can be kind of a brat sometimes.

“Whatever, let’s just get moving…” I said, exhausted despite not actually doing anything active. “Aye, aye!” Hirasawa said, following beside me with a hop and a skip. “So where are we going, anyway?” I looked towards the window as I continued to walk down my path. “Faculty room. I have to give my report to Sawako-sensei.” Hirasawa tilted her head in confusion. “Report? So like, homework?” Ah, yeah. I guess I never filled her in on this. “Well, you know how I’m the only male in the school? Well…” I looked around us, as the hallways became emptier, and turned back to her as the coast cleared. “See, sometimes I have to report to Sawako-sensei about how the girls react to being around me. Cuz they might wanna bring in more guys like myself later.” Hirasawa spoke with an innocent smile “That’s kinda creepy.” She stated bluntly. “You really don’t pull punches.” I said back.

“What happens if the girls don’t like you?” I never actually pondered that, myself. The topic was overall of little concern to me, I kind of just wanted to survive my school life first and foremost. “Hm, I guess I’d have to leave…?” 

“What!?” Hirasawa whined, “What about our club?!” I stopped and looked at her, “You would still be fine with just four people, right?” “But, But…!” Hirasawa’s worries persisted. “Look, the chances of that happening are pretty small...I think.” Hirasawa teared up, almost comically quickly. “You THINK?!” I facepalmed and turned my eyes away from her, not wanting to look at her crying face. “Alright, alright! I’ll get something done so that I can stay even if things go south! So can you stop crying, please?!” 

She immediately wiped her tears and put on a smile, “Okay!” She said to me with glee. I’d heard she was known for her mood swings, but this is kind of ridiculous. I sighed and turned back around as we continued on our way to the faculty room. We’d arrived in front of the faculty room. before Hirasawa suddenly stopped. “But, you know…” 

I turned to her, “What is it?” Hirasawa looked at me. A melancholic look in her eye, I’ve only known her for a brief period of time, but long enough to know something was wrong. “I would be pretty sad if, one day, you were suddenly gone.” Her words echoed in my thoughts briefly. “Hey, you’d be fine if that ever happened.” My voice unconsciously grew somber. “I mean, we still don’t know each other that well, after all.” Hirasawa pulled up her fist, and placed it on her chest as if she were about to curl. “Mhm. And that’s why I don’t want you to leave.” 

She walked closer to me, and placed her fist on my chest. Why was my heart beating so fast? “We have to get to know each other first, okay?” I placed my hand on her small fist, and removed it, giving her a smile. “Alright, it’s a deal.” Suddenly, the door clattered opened, and I shuddered at the sound of a familiar, mischievous laugh. “What do we have here…?”

“S-S-Sawako-sensei?” Ah, damn it. She really had to see me now, of all times? “I thought you’d find yourself a sweetheart, but so soon?” Sawako said as she’d dragged herself towards us like a zombie, a villainous grin stretching across her face. I sighed, “You got it all wrong.” She placed her hand on my shoulder, “Good catch.” Sawako said, congratulating me in an irritating manner.  
“Oh, my god.” I said in English. I swatted her away with my hand.

I turned to Hirasawa, she donned the same oblivious face she usually would. I guess she was none the wiser to what we were even talking about. Though I bet she’d pick up on words like ‘girlfriend’ or ‘lover’ so I made sure to skirt around those. “Look, we’re not...Like that.” I said with air quotes. “Then what did you even come here for? You are kind of a tease, you know.” I pinched my nose in frustration. “Then don’t read into it like that. And for goodness sake, I came here to give you my report!” Boredom suddenly crept into Sawako’s expression, and she let out a sigh. “Oh, right. How lame.” She turned around, “Welp, come in. I guess.” 

“Sawako-sensei’s acting real strange today.” I heard she apparently puts up a good front while around students and other faculty members. I wonder why she drops the facade in front of me? Questions for later, I suppose. “I guess you can come with me.” I said, gesturing to her to come into the room. She gleefully followed behind me. 

The faculty room was empty, as it always was when I had to give a report. I walked up to Sawako’s desk, which was positively swamped in paperwork. She swiveled towards us and hiked up her glasses. Her face still said she was generally disinterested in what was happening here, though. “So, what’s the scoop?” 

“Ah, well, I think most of the girls have gotten used to me being here…” Hirasawa nodded excitedly. “Mhm, I thought he was kinda scary at first, but Le-Le’s a nice guy!” I turned to Hirasawa, who wore a stupid smile across her face as she effectively doomed me. “Le-Le?” Sawako said, curiously. “Le-Le?” She repeated back to herself, her expression darkening as she once again donned a wicked smile. She began chuckling to herself, her chuckles turned to laughter, her laughter turned to maniacal cackling. She grabbed me by the collar, as she did when I gave my first report, and brought me strangling me for answers. “Ah, Le-Le!” Hirasawa said innocently, not knowing that she was the one who triggered this. I didn’t really hold it against her, though.

“So…” Sawako began questioning me, her hot, coffee scented breath warming my cheeks. “You’re...Le-Le now, hm?!” I tried to escape her grip to no avail, answering that question would only further incriminate me. “I-I gave him that nickname, Sawako-sensei!” Hirasawa interjected, only making things worse for me. I felt the grip around my collar tighten as Sawako’s eyes widened to a point that I thought they’d burst. I was having trouble breathing at this point.

She whispered to me, “So spill it, is she your girlfriend or not?” I grabbed her hand so I could actually let the words escape from my throat. “I told you already, you’ve got it wrong…” Hirasawa watched us in horror as Sawako completely broke character. “Then what’s with the nickname?!” Sawako barked at me, pretty sure I felt saliva hit my face. “She’s just like that!” I yelled back. Sawako then tossed me onto the ground where I crashed specularly. She approached Hirasawa and grabbed her by the arms. “I’ll just ask Hirasawa if you’re gonna be difficult to me about it.”

“A-A-A-A-Ask me what…?” Hirasawa’s eyes widened as she tried to force a clearly fake smile. Ah, shoot! I had to do something, and fast. Hirasawa stood there like a statue, and clearly wasn’t going to move on her own. “Walking around with him, giving him a cute nickname...Hirasawa, what is your re--” I immediately bolted up off the floor, and ran to cover Sawako’s mouth as she muffled words I would rather not hear.

Ding-dong-ding-dong. Ahh, those bells have never been more blissful to hear. Sawako’s grip on Hirasawa loosened at the sound of it. I sighed in relief as I no longer had an obligation to stay there. “Well, it seems lunch is over. We’d better get back to class now! I’ll fill you in on the rest of my report later. Ha-ha, bye!” I nervously rapid-fired these words as I’d grabbed Hirasawa’s arm and stormed out of the faculty room with her in tow. I ran with her until we were a safe distance from Sawako’s prying eyes. I let go of Hirasawa’s arm as I had to catch my breath.

“Well, that sucked…” I said, gasping for air. “Was Sawako-sensei sick or something? She was acting so strange…” Said the completely clueless as to Sawako’s true nature. I wrestled with myself for a bit on whether I should tell her about how she is, but ultimately I decided against it and played along. “Maybe so, hopefully she’ll be okay later.” I said clumsily. “Maybe we should check up on her later?” Hirasawa suggested, which I profusely shot down with a “No!”

“Er…” Way to make myself seem less suspicious. “I mean, she’ll probably get better faster if we leave her alone.” I said, trailing off into an incredibly awkward laugh. Hirasawa’s face was dumbfounded for a bit, before returning to her normal smile with a chipper “Okay!”   
After that, we returned to class which Hirasawa slept through as she tended to. I decided to join her just this once, being exhausted by the whole ordeal.

Eventually, the end of the day came, signalled by the same bell that had been my salvation earlier. My eyes were still closed, but the feeling of being shaken had awakened me. My eyes slowly opened, only to be greeted by Tainaka’s face. “Oh, right…” I said, shaking my head to get some of the sleep out of my system. “I said I would play some of my violin today…” Tainaka kept shaking me even though I was already up. “Yeah, you did! Now hurry up, the others have already left without us!”

“Yeah, yeah.” I said, picking up my violin case. I was still kind of sleepy, so it felt heavier than usual. I dragged myself up to the club room, and the doors clattered open. Mugi, Hirasawa, and Akiyama were already there waiting for me. They sat in hot anticipation, I hope I didn’t myself up too much. “C’mon, Le-Le! Hurry! Hurry!” Hirasawa cheered as I’d opened my violin case. “Yeah, Le-Le!” Tainaka said in a teasing voice as she walked past me and took a seat, knowing full-well how embarrassed I was at the nickname. “Shut up…” I said, pulling out my violin’s bow.

I wiped off the bow’s horsehair with a large white cloth. It had been a while since I’d played violin, and I left my old one back home, so I had to buy a used one. It was in okay enough condition, but was still a bit dirty, presumably from neglect. “Ah, where’s your amp?” Asked Mugi. Akiyama chimed in, “Violins don’t need one.” I plucked at the strings near the neck of the violin, saying “You could say violins are an all-natural instrument. The sound it produces doesn’t need to be amplified.”

“Hm, hm!” Hirasawa huffed as she nodded, intently watching me as I inspected my instrument. “I have a question!” Hirasawa shouted as she raised her hand. “Why’s it broken?” I tilted my head at her strange question. “It’s old, but it’s not broken.” Hirasawa pointed at the bow I was holding. “But why is it split in two pieces?” My jaw dropped in utter silence. Man, Hirasawa’s a nice girl but is she really THIS clueless? “Yui, have you never seen a violin before?” Tainaka asked Hirasawa, trying desperately to hold her laughter at her friend’s incredible ignorance. 

“Yui, you use both pieces to play it.” Said Akiyama, gesturing towards my violin’s body and bow. “They work in tandem to make sound, see?” Still kneeling on the floor, I gently dragged the horsehair end of the bow along the strings of the violin’s body. The violin produced a soft humming sound. “Like that, see?” I said, turning to Hirasawa, who was clapping profusely along with Mugi. “Erk…”

“How cool…!” Mugi said with eyes beaming. “Again, again!” Hirasawa had demanded as if I’d performed some magic trick. Such praise over a simple act like that left me more embarrassed than elated, but I obliged. “Fine.” I said, standing up. “I did promise to give a show.” I placed the butt of the violin’s main body near my neck, near the chin rest, and raised my bow. I closed my eyes, and the room fell silent. Here goes something.

I dragged my bow across the body’s strings. My sense of sound drew a blank as I could only feel and hear the soft vibration of the chords as I swept across them in a slow, methodical manner. My sense of time had drawn a blank as my body was lost in the motion of merely...playing. I’d forgotten just how much I loved this. How long was I playing for? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Five seconds? It didn’t matter to me. Not now.

In time, I came to my senses and was freed of my trance. I opened my eyes to my still silent classmates. They all sat there, eyes widened. I placed my violin and bow down, and felt the heat in my face rise as they just...stared. I averted my eyes from theirs as I sheepishly scratched the back of my head as I was brought back down to earth. “Wh-...” I took a second to process what I was about to ask, nervous of the answer I’d receive. “What do you think?” I had no idea what their opinion might be, I was so lost in just playing, that I ironically wasn’t receptive to the sound I was even making.

“That was so cool!” Hirasawa cheered, followed by claps from the other club members. Tainaka gave a proud huff, “I knew I was right in recruiting him!” Akiyama bumped elbows with Tainaka, “I have to admit, I’ve never gotten to see something like that up close.” Mugi gave an awed smile, saying “Where did you learn that…?” I scratched my cheek bashfully as I held back the stupid smile I very much wanted to form. “I learned it at home. I told you that already, yeah?”  
Hirasawa tilted her head in confusion.

“Oh right, you weren’t here for that.” Akiyama said. “See, he grew up in the UK. This kind of thing was pretty much mandatory for his curriculum.” I put away my violin and bow. “Yep, and since the violin is such a popular instrument over there, you can imagine how all that went.” Tainaka sprang over to me, giving me a hard pat on the back. “You really showed your stuff, recruit!” Um, recruit? What, am I in the military now?

“Well,” Mugi said, clasping her hands. “With the show now complete, I believe it’s time for a bite to eat.” Hirasawa and Tainaka both raised their fists, giving a perfectly in-sync “Yeah!” We all took our seats at the table, as Mugi shuffled her hands through her bag. “Oops.” Mugi said plainly, with an equally plain look on her face. “What’s the holdup?” Asked Tainaka. “It seems I got my bags mixed up. I left my sweets at home, it seems.” Hirasawa pouted whilst Tainaka shouted a long-winded “Nooooo!” 

“Ah, hey, Yui, why didn’t you react with me?” Asked Tainaka. Hirasawa’s hand circled her stomach. “I’m too hungry to do that.” She said with a laugh. Now that she mentions it… “Right, we skipped lunch earlier.” Mugi tilted her head. “How come?” Recounting the embarrassing events in my head, I chose to paraphrase the incident. “...Let’s just say we’d run into some trouble that occupied all our time.”

“It was really weird!” Hirasawa shouted. ‘Uh-oh.’ I thought, ‘She’s going to bring her up, isn’t she?’ Hirasawa confirmed my fears almost immediately, flailing her arms in the air, saying “Sawako-sensei was acting really scary!” I facepalmed. “She’s...A strange one.” I added. Tainaka and Akiyama nodded, “So you met the true her, then?” Tainaka asked, with an unfittingly somber tone. “Oh, so you’ve seen her like that before?” I asked. “Unfortunately…”   
Akiyama and Tainaka both shriveled up in fear, recounting what I can only assume was a traumatic event that I decided not to press them on.

Mugi, being oblivious to what she’s really like, asked “What is she like? Surely it can’t be so bad…?” Tainaka grabbed Mugi’s shoulder, with tears rolling down her cheeks. “You’re better off not knowing…” Sheesh, she must’ve been put through the wringer. Akiyama and I nodded in agreement. Hirasawa put her finger through her lip, “Still, she got hung up on the nickname I gave Le-Le…” Hirasawa did a grabbing motion, mimicking how Sawako grabbed me by the collar earlier. “She was up really close to him, and kept asking him questions that I couldn’t make out…” Tainaka and Akiyama both deadpanned, I think they had an inkling about what kind of questions she asked me.

“Then the really weird part came when she grabbed me!” Hirasawa said, I began to grow increasingly nervous as she reached ‘that’ part of our ordeal. The other girls watched her continue her story in suspense. “She seemed really frustrated by something, so she asked me, “What is your”...” They sat there for a second, waiting for her to continue. Before long, Tainaka chimed in asking “What? “What is your re…” what?” Hirasawa, with a straight face, said. “That’s it. Le-Le cut her off before she could finish, and we had to leave since the lunch bell rang.” Tainaka looked my way with a mischievous grin on her face.

“Did he now…?” Asked Tainaka in a devilish voice. Hirasawa nodded. “Yeah, he even…” Hirasawa stopped, as her stomach audibly grumbled. “Oh.” She said, once again rubbing her empty stomach. ‘There’s my chance!’ “Hey, let’s go get some food, Hirasawa! My treat! Whaddya say?” Hirasawa immediately dropped the topic. Success! “Really?! What’s the occasion?!” I scratched the back of my head, awkwardly laughing as I came up with a reason. “Well, I guess it is my fault you skipped out on lunch!” Tainaka slammed her hands on the table as she sprang out of her chair in protest. “Why you!” Akiyama lightly jabbed her elbow, “What do you care so much for, Ritsu?” Tainaka looked down at Akiyama “You don’t wanna know what he was gonna do?” Akiyama sighed. “Well, it was probably for good reason if he stopped her. We both know how much of a wild card Sawako-sensei can be.” Tainaka sighed, “Fine, fine. I’ll drop it.” I gave a sigh of relief.

We left the clubroom, though I was only treating Hirasawa, the rest of the club came with me. I suppose there was no reason to stay there if there weren’t any snacks or anything to do. Hirasawa led the way, as we walked, the club’s usual banter started. “You’ve never really been around the neighborhood before?” Asked Mugi. “I have to take the train to get to and from school, so I don’t really take the time to look around here. I just go straight home after school.” I told her plainly. Hirasawa shot her fist up in the air, declaring “We can’t have that!” Akiyama looked out at the oranges and reds of the sunset blanketing the riverbed we’d passed. “It really is a lovely little town, you know. You should see it sometime.” I looked up to the sky as the dusk slowly overtook the scarlet sky, and gave a drawn out “Hmm…”

Hirasawa stomped her foot as she stopped in her tracks, she turned to me. “Alright, it’s settled then!” She said with a serious face. “This Sunday, we’ll show you around town!” Hirasawa proudly declared. “Pause…” I said, flatly putting up my palm. “What makes you assume I’m not busy Sunday?” Tainaka crossed her arms, with a furrowed brow. “Weren’t you the one who just said you go straight home after school? Admit it, you don’t have a life outside of us four!” I visibly and audibly reeled back from her incredibly scathing comment. She was technically right, but she didn’t have to say it. And I wasn’t about to admit that to her.

“Ritsu!” Akiyama scolded her for the comment. “No, she’s right!” Mugi and Hirasawa interrupted in perfect unison. “You guys too?!” I yelled, turning to them. “I’ve seen you walk around campus, Le-Le!” Hirasawa said sternly, “And you’ve got absolutely no friends outside of us! You’re always by yourself! That’s how you become a NEET, you know!” Hirasawa said all this with a weirdly diplomatic disposition, as Mugi stood there silent, but still nodding in agreement to her extremely harsh words. I put up both of my hands and flailed them like a mad man. “Okay, okay! I’ll come! Just...Stop! Alright?!” I begged for their cold words to stop piercing into me. “It’s settled, then!” Hirasawa said with a victorious smile as she utterly bested me with her cold words. 

The girls then continued their walk and I stood utterly petrified. ‘THAT’S what they think of me?’ I wondered to myself over and over again. Akiyama stopped by me, patting me on the back like some kid who dropped their ice cream. “N-No one thinks any less of you...I think.” 

“You’re not helping.” I whined, before regaining my composure. “We should catch up to them.” Akiyama suggested. “Fine.” I sighed, we took one more turn before reaching our destination. A run of the mill McDonalds. “Easy on my wallet, at least.” I said, walking in as the automated doors opened. “Le-Le!” Hirasawa said, waving from the back of the line with Tainaka and Mugi in tow. “Don’t call me that in public, please.” I said in frustration, flagging her down. Tainaka smiled like a plotting cat. “Why not? It’s a good fit for you, Le-Le.” She said, putting extra emphasis on Le-Le to strike at my nerves. “Shut up.” I said plainly as I took my spot in line.   
“I think it’s a cute nickname!” Mugi said, with the innocence of a newborn. “I give up.” I said as my upper body slumped over in defeat.

We stood in line for about five minutes, the girls chatted away at subjects I don’t care to know the context of. I stood there and stared off into space momentarily. I thought about why I enjoyed playing my violin so much today. I looked down at my fist and quickly balled it up twice, before leaving it open. My thoughts trailed off as I struggled to find the reason I enjoyed playing my violin so much. My thoughts were suddenly cut off by the sound of Hirasawa shouting at me to come pay for her food, I went up and bought something extra for myself. Afterwards, we all took a seat near the windows.

I looked at Hirasawa utterly gorging herself on the immense amount of food she got, the only thought that ran through my head as I watched her was the hole she’d blown through my funds. “Hirasawa…” I said, as she bit into one of her burgers. “I know I said it was my treat, but don’t you think you went a bit overboard?” She looked at me with a ketchup strewn frown. “I’m a growing girl! Besides, it’s your fault that I--” I put up a hand gesturing a ceasefire. “Okay, okay. I got it.” I took a single fry from my box and ate it. “Sorry.” Hirasawa gave a huff before continuing to devour her food.

“You know, Le-Le…” Mugi said to me, I was too beaten down to even call attention to the name she just used again. “...I took a good look at that violin you had before we left. It’s kind of beat up, why is that?” I took a sip of my soda and stated plainly, “I bought it used, at some vintage store near my house. I don’t really have funds to burn. So even if I wanted to buy a new one, I can’t.” Tainaka chimed in, “Can’t you just save up your allowances from your parents?” It took me a second to process what she said and how I ought to answer that, so I just went with the most innocent sounding thing I could think of at the time. “I don’t get an allowance.” I shrugged.

“How do you survive?!” Hirasawa basically spat out, with Mugi cleaning her face off with a napkin not long after. “...I make do with what I have already, I guess.” I said, “Have you thought about getting a part-time job?” Asked Akiyama. Admittedly, I hadn’t. “Nah.” Tainaka leaned back in her chair, saying “Well, if you’ve got nothing to do on weekends, why don’t you just get one?” Her voice was sincere, and the advice was sound. Yet I still can’t help but feel like she was taking a shot at me. “Yeah…” I said, in a defeated groan. I laid my head on the table as I was awash in comic embarrassment. Hirasawa patted my head, and with a mouth full of fries, says “There, there.” Ugh, she’s trying to make me feel better, so why do I feel worse?

“Why don’t you try looking somewhere while we’re in town on Sunday?” Suggested Mugi. “I guess…” I said meekly. “Speaking of that, let’s all meet up early, say, 1PM?” Tainaka said, I guess that’s supposed to be her idea of early? “I can do that. Do you mind if we meet up at the station near here? I’d prefer not to have to travel that far from it.” 

“Why?” Asked Akiyama. “I can’t read kanji all that well, remember?” I crack an embarrassed smile. “I’d get lost if I tried to walk around here on my own.” Hirasawa shot out her palm, holding a burger wrapper in place with her thumb. “Leave it to me! I’ll make sure you won’t get lost!” I sat up lackadaisical, replying “Yeah, thanks…” I rubbed the back of my head. “I feel like I’m being treated like a kid right now.” The girls laughed at my plight, though I doubt their intent was malicious at all.

After some time, we left the restaurant. Miraculously, Hirasawa ate all of her food without so much as a scrap left. At least my money didn’t go to waste. “Get home safe, alright?” I said to the group as I prepared to walk the other direction. Tainaka crossed her arms, deadpan. “Shouldn’t we be saying that to you?” I awkwardly laughed her comment off. I really need to be careful about how Tainaka weaponizes everything I say. “Right, well. See you all on Sunday.” I turned around and took my leave as I headed towards the station. “Don’t be late!” yelled Hirasawa, I wasn’t looking at her but I think she was waving her arms. I raised my hand and waved as I walked out of sight and back home.

Saturday passed uneventfully, and thus came Sunday. I arrived at the train station a little before the agreed time, at roughly 12:45PM. I exited the station, and Akiyama was there. “I figured you would be here, Akiyama.” I said as I approached. She smiled back at me. “Yes, well…” She said as she fixed her hair in the wind. Akiyama wore a different getup than usual, this would be the first time I saw the girls outside of their school outfits. She wore a soft purple blouse over a basic cream dress. It wasn’t extravagant, but Akiyama had a natural beauty to her that it made it work really well anyway.

“Hey, are you okay, Katnua?” Akiyama asked. “H-Huh?” I turned my head away from her, not wanting to look more incriminating than I already do. “Nothing’s wrong.” I replied sheepishly. Suddenly, Tainaka’s voice chimed in, she must’ve come with Akiyama. “I think he was checkin’ you out, Mio.” I’ve come to accept that Tainaka has a habit of saying things that are true but should still go unsaid. “Oh, will you shut it?” I said, stumbling over the fact that I’d been busted. Akiyama blushed at the statement, but thankfully didn’t press me on it. She was probably too embarrassed as is. 

“Am I wrong?” Asked Tainaka, with a wink. On the subject of her, she didn’t look bad herself. She wore jean shorts and sneakers, and a basic striped tee. Once again, it wasn’t anything extra, but it perfectly captured her tomboyish nature. “...That’s besides the point.” I said, trying to dodge her questioning. “Anyway, I’m actually surprised you got here so quickly, Tainaka. I thought you’d have been late.” Tainaka put up a peace sign, “Maybe there’s more to me than meets the eye.” She said, “She’s only here because I had to come get her.” Said Akiyama, blowing her friend’s cover. “Oh. I see. That makes sense.” I said completely straight faced. “What’s that supposed to mean?!” Tainaka roared.  
Our banter went on for about ten more minutes, until suddenly. “Um…” I said, pointing to the black limousine that suddenly pulled. “Oh, it’s Mugi! Hey!” Said Tainaka as she waved to the limousine. “Wh-” I spat in disbelief, “MUGI?!” Tainaka turned to me. “Oh? Did we not tell you? Mugi’s like, super freakin’ loaded.” I looked in disbelief as two bodyguards, one male, and the other female, escorted Mugi outside of the limousine. “She’s the daughter of a famous company president.” Akiyama explained. “Though her father is apparently quite overprotective of her.” I placed my hand on my chin. ‘That explains a little too much. The doll-like appearance. Her overall good nature and complete lack of malice definitely tells me that she’s someone who had a rather sheltered childhood.’ 

Mugi walked towards us with an embarrassed look on her face. She had her typically long hair worn as pigtails, and she wore an old-fashioned blue dress that accentuated her doll-like features. “Uuuuu...Why couldn’t they just drop me off normally?” Mugi lamented. I guess she didn’t like her princess-like status being seen like this? “They’re still there…” I said with a nervous smile as her two guards moved about as much as statues do. “Creepy.” Said Tainaka. “Agreed.” Said Akiyama. “Stop! Stop! Stop!” Mugi said, getting in the way of our view of the guards. I was half a foot taller than her though, so that didn’t exactly help things. “Just pretend they aren’t there!” Pleaded Mugi.

More time passed, I checked my wrist watch and it was 1:10PM. “I guess it’s not like Hirasawa to be on time, even to things that she suggested we do.” As I said that, the sound of rampant footsteps approached. “What was the saying again?” Asked Tainaka. “Speak of the devil?” She said in a rare bout of English. Hirasawa ran up to us, falling flat on her behind as she had to catch her breath. “Sorry...Sorry…” She said, “I overslept...again.” 

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” I said, a little annoyed. “Just catch your breath.” She took a couple of deep breathes. “Geez, Yui. You think you’d learn your lesson by the fourth or fifth time.” Said Akiyama. “I’m sorry! I was watching a comedy sketch and lost track of time last night.” Tainaka sighed. “You are so hopeless.” Akiyama puffed her cheeks. “You’re not much better you know!” Tainaka’s eyes widened, then leered at Akiyama’s comment. “Ah-- Hey!” We shared a laugh.

“Here.” I said, extending a hand to Hirasawa. “Oh, thank you.” She said, grabbing. “Ah.” I said, as our faces suddenly became close. Hirasawa looked particularly nice today. Her outfit was simple, much like Tainaka and Akiyama. She wore a pink cardigan and black pantyhose. It wasn’t all that different from what she wears at school besides the color, yet why was I so enamored by her simple appearance? “Le-Le…?” My embarrassing nickname brought me back down to earth. “Hm? What?” I asked. “You okay?” She said, touching my face. “Your face is all red. Are you sick?” 

“Oh, he’s sick alright.” Tainaka teased, grinning ear-to-ear. “Will you shut it?” I barked at her, and sighed. “I’m fine, Hirasawa. It’s just the sun, that’s all.” Hirasawa nodded, “Oh, that makes sense.” I can’t read minds, but I think all of us were thinking the same thing ‘How clueless is she?’ “A-Anyway, we should get going.” I said, desperately wanting to change the subject as I began to walk. “Going where?” Mugi asked. “U-um…” I thought for a second, before swiveling to them. “Guys?” I said with a smile that no doubt made me look like an idiot.

Hirasawa shot a hand to the sky. “Leave it to me!” She said, now leading the way as she did when we’d decided to take a trip through town in the first place. Her town was really quite quaint. It was small, there were lots of old people, and it was a heck of a lot quieter than London or the city I reside in. “So, what’s first on the agenda?” I asked. 

“First, we pet the dogs!” Hirasawa said with a raised finger. “...Pet dogs?” I asked. “She supposedly does that almost every morning on the way to school.” Akiyama explained. “Is...Is that why she’s always late?” I asked. “Part of the reason. No doubt about it.” She replied. Soon after, we arrived at a set of hedge bushes. My head swiveled side-to-side as I surveyed the surrounding area, before they settled on Hirasawa. “Uh, where are the dogs?” She pointed at the bushes in front of us. “There!”

I gave an impassive look as I turned back around to the hedge. “Okaaay…” Hirasawa gave a thrusting motion with one of her fingers. “Go on!” I decided to humor her, and gave the bush a poke with my index finger. “Nothing’s happening.” Said an impatient Tainaka. “Give it a second.” Said an excited Hirasawa. As she said that, the bushes began to rustle, and Hirasawa was quaking in anticipation. Finally, a friendly looking Shiba Inu popped out of the bushes, with wide and innocent eyes.

“S-So cute!” Akiyama said with a renewed fire in her eyes. “I-Indeed!” Mugi said with an intense blush on her face at the sight of the adorable canine. Hirasawa skipped over to greet it, and gave it quite the petting. Maybe she just likes to pet things, I guess? The dog seems to enjoy and expect her company. I wonder how far back these two go? “Here, here!” Hirasawa gestured to me to pet the dog. “Mm.” I said as I approached it. I like cute things, and it certainly was a cute looking dog.

I put my hand on it, and it was probably the cutest thing I ever got to hold. And it was soft, like, softer than putting my hands through a sheet that came fresh out of the dryer. A smile unconsciously formed across my face, and my expression became much softer than normal. “Oho?” Tainaka said with a smirk. “Leo has an affinity for cute things? Veeeeery interesting.” Her teasing words snapped me out of the dog’s powerful hypnosis, and I covered my mouth to hide my smile that just wouldn’t go away. “It’s not that cute.” I lied.

I let my hand go, and the other girls all took their turns. It was quite friendly to all of us, maybe it trusts anyone who hangs out with Hirasawa? Well, it doesn’t matter either or, I guess. “What’s next, now that our dog petting is over?” I asked. “To the pond!” Hirasawa shouted, with a mile wide grin as she jogged in place. “What’s at the pond?” I asked. “You’ll see!” Hirasawa said, running off north. “Hey, wait, Yui!” Tainaka said as she gave chase. I ran too. Man, maybe I am that out of shape.   
We arrived at a small pond, its ends were filled with small stones. “Stone skipping?” I guessed. Hirasawa pouted. “Aw, don’t ruin the surprise!” I gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry, but it was kinda obvious.” Tainaka rolled up her sleeves with glee. “Water skipping, huh? I guess it’s time for me to show off my skills.” Tainaka squatted, picking up various rocks and carefully examining their surfaces. I’ve only seen water skipping in TV shows and the like, so I only vaguely understand its rules. “Here!” Said Tainaka, picking up a flat rock roughly the size of her palm. “This is perfect.”

“I’ll go first, and show you all how it’s done.” She said, rotating the disk in her hand in a way that was admittedly rather cool. Tainaka took a deep breath, before launching the rock with an underhand, like how one would throw a frisbee. The rock skipped upon the water’s surface an impressive six times before finally sinking. We all gave her a modest applause, to which Tainaka indulged herself in thoroughly. “Alright Mio, you’re up.” Tainaka said. 

Akiyama sighed, she didn’t seem as into it as Tainaka. “Alright.” She said, picking up a flat surfaced rock that was about half the size of Tainaka’s rock. She faced the water and turned around to face us. “Just so you know, I’ve never done this before. So don’t get your hopes up.” Tainaka gave a smug grin, “Oh, we won’t.” Akiyama turned back around, throwing the rock similarly to Tainaka. It skipped across the water’s surface five times before sinking. Tainaka was visibly taken aback by Akiyama’s display.

Akiyama turned, and gave an elegant flip of the hair. “There.” She said plainly. “Wow, Mio! You’re a natural!” Hirasawa complimented her. “It was nothing.” Akiyama said modestly. “I-It was okay!” Tainaka said with obvious jealousy on her face. Perhaps she was upset that such raw technique can be so comparatively close to having a lot of practice. “Why don’t you go next, Yui?” Said Akiyama. To which Hirasawa responded by throwing her fist skyward. “All right!” 

Hirasawa picked up the nearest rock she could find. It was a flat one, like Akiyama’s and Tainaka’s rocks, but had some jaggies in it. She struck a pose, and launched it underhand, giving a strong battle cry as she threw it. The rock skipped three times before it sank. We were all silent for a moment, “You kinda suck, Yui.” Said Tainaka, causing Hirasawa to face us with an embarrassed smile. “Yeah, it’s really hard…” She said like a sad puppy. “Oh-- Le-Le! Your turn!”

I didn’t fight the nickname this time, I just gave a sigh and replied “Fine. I can’t be much worse than you.” I said, as I picked up a nicked rock that looked similar enough to theirs. “Do your best, Le-Le!” Mugi cheered. I locked my feet to the ground, thought of a general trajectory to throw the rock in, took a deep breath, and let loose. The rock for a moment, before hitting the ground. One skip, and another, and...It sank? “Wait, what?” I said, calling shenanigans. “Wow, you’re worse than even Yui, Leo!” Tainaka teased. 

“Th-This is harder than it looks.” I said, my face reddening from embarrassment. “Wanna give it another go?” Akiyama suggested. I nodded, picking up a cleaner rock this time. I cleared my mind and concentrated harder than before...Only to yield the same results as before. “Ah, damn it!” I said, frustrated. How do you play this freakin’ game? “Ha! Ready to give up?” I sighed, as my results were dead last. “Yeah, I fold.” I turned to Mugi, who hadn’t gone yet. “Mugi, you wanna give it a shot?” Mugi gasped. “Can I?” I gave an awkward smile. What kind of question is that? “Um, yes?” Mugi then picked up a flat rock, once a good deal larger than her hands. “Okay!” She gave a determined look as she planted her feet firmly into the ground. “Here I go!” Mugi threw the rock with all her might. One, two, three, six, ten times before it sank?! 

We all stood in silence at Mugi’s immense strength. Or was it her technique? Possibly a mix of both? Either way, there was clearly more to this girl than meets the eye. “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Said Tainaka solemnly, to which we all nodded in agreement as Mugi looked on in confusion. “Well then, now that that’s over, why don’t we all go get some refreshments?” Akiyama suggested. “Good idea.” Tainaka said, elbowing my sides. “And the loser has to pay!”   
I sighed, cosigning myself to my fate.

We walked to a shaded area with a vending machine, and all got drinks on me. The girls chatted away about how hot it was and what they decided to wear, stuff I didn’t really care to get involved in. I found myself just scanning the general area making observations to pass the time. Such as that leaking fire hydrant over there or the kid who just tripped over there. One thing did catch my eye for more than a moment though, written in all red text, a HELP WANTED sign written in English for some reason. “This must be fate.” I thought aloud. “What is?” Asked Hirasawa.

“Ah, nothing.” I said, handing her my drink. “Can you hold this for a sec? I’ll be right back.” I said, getting up and walking over to the place across the street from where we were sitting. “Le-Le?” She said, tilting her head in confusion. 

I peered into the window of the store with the sign. There was an assortment of different flowers, as well as different plants and bags of fertilizer. “A florist?” I once again thought aloud, a female employee eyed me from inside the shop, and came out to greet me. “Hello, sir? Are you looking for anything in particular?” I pointed to the help wanted sign. “Actually, I came here to ask about that.” 

“Oh,” The girl said plainly, gesturing me to come inside. We were inside the shop, it was rather small and its scent was that of a freshly mowed lawn. “Oh!” The girl repeated. “Katnua?” I tilted my head in confusion at the sound of my own name. “You know me?” I asked. “I attend Sakuragaoka! You’re the talk of the town, after all!” She wasn’t someone I recognized, yet her appearance was something that rang a bell for whatever reason. Short dark brown hair, matching brown eyes, red glasses, a sophisticated demeanor…

“Oh!” I said with a snap of the fingers, as I finally put a name to details. “You’re Nodoka, right?” She put her hand up to her mouth in surprise. “You know my name?” I nodded. “Hirasawa told me about you.” Nodoka smiled. “Right, you’re in the Light Music Club with her. Has Yui been treating you okay? Been giving you any trouble?” I put a hand to the back of my head. “Well, she can be a bit of a handful. But she’s a good girl for the most part.” Nodoka chuckled. “Well, that’s good.” Nodoka grabbed my submission paper and gave them a flick with her finger. “Don’t worry about this. I’ll make sure to put in a good word for you. A friend of Yui is a friend of mine, too.” 

“Thanks.” I nodded. “Oh, but…” Nodoka said, pointing at the flowers behind her. “How about a flower? Consider getting one your…”obligation”, okay?” I give a nervous smile and comply “Okay…”

I walked out of the store to head back to the girls, now holding a lone hydrangea. It was the cheapest thing in the store that I can go with. Admittedly, it did look pretty and smell rather nice. That helped ease the fact that I was pretty much haggled into buying it. I went back near the vending machines. Where nobody awaited me. Did they all leave, perhaps? “Heeeeey!” I yelled as my voice echoed throughout the streets of the small. “Hirasawa! Everyone! Where are you?!” I yelled and yelled to no response. I caught my breath. “I guess I have to look for them, huh?”

I ran throughout the streets, the kanji-laden signs and billboards not helping things as I just couldn’t navigate where it was. “Man, this is just like that time I…” The sudden resurfacing of bad memories halted my footsteps. I gave a sigh of melancholy. “...I haven’t changed at all.” My feet began to move again as my drive to find the girls had renewed. They weren’t in any danger, but I wouldn’t allow it to be like that time anyway. ‘I can’t be late. I can’t be late.” I thought to myself over and over again.

I searched for two and a half hours, and the sun was beginning to set. Where did they go, I wonder? I gave up my search, and stood in place. Lost in my own frustrations. “I’m such an idiot!.” I said aloud. “Who’s an idiot?” Said a familiar voice from behind me. I turned around. “Hirasawa?” She pouted. “Yui!” I brushed off her comment, “I was looking all over for you guys, where did you go?” Hirasawa had an apologetic look on her face. “Sorry, but while you were away, Mugi suddenly wasn’t feeling well and we needed to get her to a hospital. So we all left without you.” 

“I came back to see if you waited there, but you were gone.” Hirasawa explained further. “You really had me worried, you know?” I apologized, even though I was equally worried. “Sorry, sorry. But wait, where’d everyone go?” Hirasawa pouted again. “They all went home. They told me they wanted to try this again another day.” I nodded in understanding. “I see. But wait, why are you still here?” Hirasawa looked down, and handed me the drink I’d left her. “Hirasawa, you really shouldn’t have stayed behind for that.” I said with an amused chuckle. 

“Not just that.” She said, turning in a helicopter motion, before pointing up at a hill in the distance. “I haven’t shown you the best part of town yet!” She said before she began to run. “Follow me!” She shouted, I obliged. As we ran through town, I felt a growing appreciation for this place and its people. It was small, and its people went through their daily lives as if it were a normal bliss. I thought about London for a second, and the sort of place I’d grown up in. How different it was.

Eventually, we reached a park, with a hill winding upwards. Called “Aozora Park”. It was modest, but there were still parents playing with their children, be it on the swing set or in the sandbox. “Up there!” Hirasawa pointed to the top of the hill. We walked up its cobblestone trail, and reached what looked to be the very top of the city. Hirasawa patted my back in a way that told me ‘Get a move on! This is the best part!’. We reached a railing on the hillside.

We reached the sort of one-of-a-kind sight that had to be seen to be believed. It was Hirasawa’s entire hometown, baked in a wonderful sunlight that complemented its small town nature perfectly. The ways in which the yellows bounced off the town’s inviting nature in such a profound way left me visibly taken aback. “Cool, right?” Hirasawa said, as she rested on the railing. “Very.” I said, following her lead. 

We fell silent for a while, simply enjoying the view and soaking it all in. Hirasawa then broke that silence. “Hey, can I ask you something?” I looked at her, confused. “What is it?” Hirasawa looked at me, asking. “Why did you call yourself a failure earlier?” My mind went blank for a moment. I never expected Hirasawa to get caught up on something like that. “I-I…” I struggled to get the words out. There were butterflies in my stomach, I rarely told anyone about my past and I’m not sure I want to get into it now. “In the past, I messed up once…” I explained calmly. “It was a mistake that still eats at me, and I want to make sure I don’t repeat it again. That’s all.” 

“Oh.” Hirasawa said, a somber mood overtaking her typically bubbly voice. “Well, Le-Le, the thing about our mistakes is that we can eventually move past them…” Air escaped my throat as I let out a short gasp, this is weirdly sophisticated speak for Hirasawa. “Hirasawa…?” I let out on accident. She stuck her tongue out at me. “So don’t let it bother you so much, okay?” I gave a bittersweet smile, her words were definitely comforting to a degree. “...Yeah.”

We looked back at the sunset. This time, I would be the one to break the silence. “Hey, Hirasawa?” I said, our eyes still focusing on the city. “Mhm?” She replied. “Thanks.” I said with gratitude. “For what?” She asked, curious. “For today, I mean. I’ve never done this sort of stuff before. Normally, on weekends, I’d just hull myself up in my room and play video games. So, thanks for showing me what this kind of thing is like.” Hirasawa didn’t say anything in response, she just gave a confident smile. That was enough of a ‘You’re welcome!’ for me. 

“Hey, Le-Le, when you’re ready…” Hirasawa said, hesitating on her own words. “...Can you tell me what your old life was like?” My eyes widened as I looked at her in disbelief, why would she want to know something like that?! I fell silent for a moment, before finally working up the courage and replying. “Sure.”

We parted ways for the night, it was getting dark so Hirasawa walked me to the station so I wouldn’t get lost again. Thankfully, though, it was pretty uneventful. As I waited for my train, I wondered to myself ‘Why does she want to know such a thing? To help me?’ It was all so very confusing. But now that I told her that I would, I couldn’t just lie to her or pretend I never said that I would. One day, she would know everything about me.

That is the day that I am utterly dreading.


	4. Planting the Seeds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo begins his new job at a flower shop. As he works there, seeds of unsung feelings are sowed into him.

Hello. Once more, I’m Leo Katnua, a male student attending the otherwise all-girls high school Sakuragaoka. It’s been about four weeks since I’ve begun attending, and things have been going pretty good despite the initial setbacks. I got involved with the Light Music Club, became more socially active, and today, I’m starting my first part-time job. I think my life here is actually a lot better than my life back at home, but I’d prefer not to think about that right now. It’s been kind of chaotic, but I think I’m beginning to find my footing in the circumstances I’ve found myself in.

As I find myself recounting the events that transpired over the past few weeks, one of the people in my thoughts lightly shook me by the shoulders. “Oh, Hirasawa?” I say. She nods, “C’mon, c’mon!” She points towards our classroom’s door. “Let’s head to the club room!” I gave a bittersweet smile. “Sorry, it’s Friday. I’ve got work today, remember?” Hirasawa gave an adorable pout. “Oh, yeah…” Her expression quickly shifted back to her usual thoughtless smile. “Oh, you’ll be going with Nodoka, right?”

“That’s right.” I said, as I packed my schoolbag. Speaking of her, Nodoka would then show up to my desk with a modest smile on her face. “All ready, Leo?” I stood from my desk. “All ready.” I said firmly. Hirasawa then took a bow towards Nodoka. “He is in your care now. Please show him the ropes.” Nodoka played along, taking a bow towards Hirasawa. “I will do my best.” I gave a half-hearted chuckle at their strange antics. “We’ll be going now.” Said Nodoka, giving her friend a pat on the head. “Have enough fun for both of us, okay?” I said, giving her a wave good-bye. “Okay!” She said, waving us both off. 

We soon left the school and were on our way to my first day on the job. The place I’ll be working at is called Sakurai’s Garden, a modest little shop run by the elderly man named Tennobu Sakurai. Before I applied, Nodoka was apparently the only one working there besides the old man. The reason he wants to leave something behind in this world, a 'proof of being' of sorts. Something about wanting to leave his craft behind, his way of the garden. I hadn't met the man yet, but from what Nodoka told me, he seemed very much like the easygoing type. Not one to rush things and believing that, with patience, comes perfection. 

“So…” Nodoka said, breaking my train of thought. “Yui seems to have taken a liking to you.” I put my arms behind my head as I pointed it skyward. “Yeah, she had me worried for a sec.” My head bobbed towards Nodoka. “Say, did she ever mention me? Before we became friends, I mean.” Nodoka shook her head. “No, whenever I mentioned you as “that new boy” she’d just sorta...lock up.” I tilted my head. “What do you mean?” Nodoka explained further. “Well, she wouldn’t say anything. She would just get too scared to, and I’d always have to shift topics to something else.” I let out a bitter sigh, “Every time I ask her about it, she says she forgot why she was afraid of me.” Nodoka gave a stilted laugh, stating “That certainly sounds like Yui.”

“Say, how long have you and Hirasawa been friends, anyway?” Nodoka puts her finger to her lip, saying “Since we were small children.” I was surprised, “Really? But you’re so different. You’re sophisticated and smart and trustworthy. Hirasawa’s, well...Hirasawa.” Nodoka shrugged, as she smiled. “Yes, I suppose we are quite different. But you’ve been around her long enough to notice her charms.” My face warmed up, Hirasawa was definitely a charming lass. Strange, but definitely fun to be around in her own way. “She’s got this sort of gravity to her that sucks you into her antics, and it can be pretty hard to get out of once you’re in.” Said Nodoka, with a bright enthusiasm as she talked about her longtime friend. “I suppose you’ve got a point.” I admitted.

“When she’d dragged me out of the house on Sunday, there was something about her that I found...Hard to deny.” Nodoka immediately jumped at those words, “It’s because she’s so cute, right?” She said, inching uncomfortably close to me. “Y-Yeah…” I said, my eyes darting away from her as my face began to heat up even more. “Say…” Nodoka said, with a mischievous smile that reminded me far too much of Tainaka. “Do you...Like Hirasawa?” I stopped at the question, before saying with a reluctant smile. “Maybe you’re as dumb as her, after all.” I said, trying to play it cool despite the sudden question.

Nodoka looked at me with a neutral expression, before smiling and turning back around to the path that lay ahead of us. “Just kidding.” She said with a low voice. Her question threw me for a loop, and had me thinking for the remainder of our walk. I certainly did like Hirasawa’s presence, and she IS cute, almost irresistibly so. But she could also be pretty bratty, and super clueless. But, man, I dunno what to think about all this anymore. I guess such thoughts aren’t bad to have for a boy my age.

“Katnua? Katnua!” Nodoka said, once again stopping my thoughts. “Hm? Yeah?” She gestured towards the store’s sign, ‘Teinn no Sakurai.’ I walked to her side “We’re here. Excited?” I shrugged. “That’s a way of putting it, I guess.” Nodoka opened the door, we stepped into the modest shop. Nodoka grabbed her apron from the rack and flung it over her school uniform, taking her position behind the counter’s register. “Head to the back.” She said, pointing towards a door between two shelves. “I’ll be here if you need any help with anything.” I gave a wave, “Thanks.” I said as I opened the door to the back room.

I was met with an old man, still as a tree and quiet as a whisper. He held a professional garden shear in his hand, and carefully brought it towards what looked to be some kind of tree that was the size of a houseplant. The man stopped for what felt like a minute or two, before finally making a solid “snip!” at the greens of the plant that echoed in the small room. The man sighed in relief, and took a seat in his wooden chair. “Oh, what have we here…? He said, now finally noticing my presence.

I stood in attention, before the man flagged me down. “Calm down, son. I won’t ask much of you.” I relaxed, but only a little. “Um, you’re Mr. Sakurai, right?” The man stroked his beard as he leaned back in his chair. “That would be me, son. Then you must be a certain Leo Katnua.” I nodded. “Tell me…” Sakurai said as he slowly swiveled in his chair, now facing the plant he had cut earlier. “What do you think?” I tilted my head at his non-specific comment. “Um…” I paused as I thought of some comment that would please him. “It’s a very nice plant, sir.” I said in shallow response.

“That it is, my boy.” Sakurai said, eyeing the plant in a way that only a florist owner would. “Would you like to learn to grow one?” In truth, I really didn’t care. But it’s better to be on his good side, even if it meant learning a skill that I’d almost assuredly never use. “Of course, sir.” I said with a false chirp. “Then allow me to show you the ropes.” Sakurai said, slowly lifting himself out of his chair. “Follow me.” He said as he exited the back room and went inside the shop.

I followed him as he set down a small black pot on the table, as well as a tray full of dirt. I wasn’t looking at her, but I could tell Nodoka had her eyes on us as he began his little lesson for me. “Now, then.” He said, placing yet another small black pot on the table. He picked up the tray of dirt and began to pour it into the pot. After the pot was full, he ran his palms over the dirt, going “Hm.” and “Yes.” and “That’s not right.” several times over until finally. “Have a look for yourself.” Said the man.

I peered inside the pot, the soil was perfectly flat. And I mean perfectly, there was not so much as a spec of dirt that wasn’t evened out. “Is that really so necessary?” I questioned. “Of course!” Sakurai shouted with pride, startling a customer that Nodoka had been handling. “How is your customer supposed to feel pride in their purchase if the gardener doesn’t feel pride in his plant?” I feigned interest, but he did make a good point. “Now, you try.” Sakurai said as he’d pushed a pot and the tray of dirt towards me.

I picked up the tray from its ends and carefully poured the dirt into the pot. Evening it out surprisingly thoroughly. I thought I didn’t care, but man, this old guy’s enthusiasm was a little infectious. The dirt was all grainy, like sand. I guess it was for the particular sort of plant we were growing? “Here.” I said, as I finished my pot and handed it to the man. He stroked his beard as he carefully eyed the plant. “I see. I see. Hm, yes.” 

He shot the plant back to my face, so close in fact that I could smell the dirt within it. “Again.” He said sternly. “What’s wrong with it?” I asked, confused. “Not good enough.” He said whilst pouring more dirt into another pot. “So you must do it again until you get it right.” I sighed, though I kept my inner frustration to myself. ‘This is so stupid.’ I thought as I smoothened the dirt in another pot and handed it to him, I took an extra few minutes to ensure that it was absolutely spotless this time. I showed it to the seemingly hard to please man. He fell silent as he examined it. “Good, right?” I said confidently. 

“Again.” Sakurai said. “WHAT?” I said, my frustration unbound. “What’s wrong with it this time?!” I said, as I picked it up and examined it. It was practically as spotless as his own example. “It can’t not be “good enough”, because it’s basically the same as yours!” Sakurai laughed, “You are a sharp one, and stubborn too. Quite different from Ms. Nanabe.” I tilted my head with a visibly impatient face. “You see, that was actually meant to be a test. To make sure that, even if you know what you are doing, you would not falter in giving your best effort towards something.” 

I was dumbstruck by his words, but I suppose they made some sense. I am the type to not give it my best if I don’t find it necessary, so maybe he just wanted to beat some discipline into me. “You are a weird one, old man.” I said as I found a bit of solace in that frustrating ordeal. He chuckled, stroking his beard once again. “Yes, I have been told on...many occasions.” Sakurai said, with slight embarrassment. “Now then, shall I show you the other steps of plant making?” I put my hands on my sides, “Please.”

He’d then showed me things like the proper way of planting seeds and how much water plants should be given, and when. He’d also shown me the different sorts of soil plants needed, as well as how much sunlight they might need in their environments. Admittedly, I got more involved in it than I thought I would. This guy’s infectious enthusiasm reminds me of Hirasawa, in a weird way. We closed up shop for the day, and were about to receive payment, until…

“Here, my boy.” Sakurai said, handing me a plant that had yet to sprout. “Why are you giving me this?” I asked as I held the pot in my hand. “It’s one of the ones you had planted earlier. Consider it a...bonus of sorts.” I raised an eyebrow, kind of a crappy bonus, man. “That is an alstroemeria flower, take good care of it. If you do, then your friendships will be taken care of too.” I eyed the odd plant and held onto it as it was a nice gesture at the end of the day. “Oh, and here.”

He handed me my payment. 5400 Yen, I held up my payment slip with the glee of a child when he got a new toy, and thought about all the things I could buy with it. “Thank you, sir!” I said with utmost sincerity. Nodoka gave a bow and a more modest, “Thank you, sir.” As she took her apron off and hung it on the rack. We left the store, my face still beaming as I stared down my cash. “You’re like a little kid.” Nodoka laughed, “So, what did you think of your first day?” I moved my eyes away from my payment slip, and moved them skyward. “That old man was difficult, how did you put up with him?”

“Well, he’s normally pretty quiet when he goes about his business.” Nodoka said, flinging her school bag over her shoulder. “But he was the same with me when I’d first started. Just don’t get him started on the ethics of growing plants, and you’ll survive.” I sighed, “...Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind from now on.” I raised the plant he’d given me, “Now, what to do with this?” Nodoka tilted her head at me, “You’re not going to keep it?” I shrugged. “Not if I don’t gotta, maybe I can give it to one of the girls in the club.” Nodoka excitedly raised her voice “Oh! Give it to Yui!” 

I tilted my head in confusion, “I mean, that’s fine, but why Hirasawa?” Nodoka shifted her hands suspiciously, as if she were plotting something. I had an inkling on what it was, but pretended not to notice. “Er, well, I know her family likes plants, so she’d like it.” Nodoka said as she gave an almost comically fake laugh. “Right, well...I guess it’s not a bad idea.” I said with a shrug. I didn’t care to ponder or inquire what it was she was plotting since I just wanted to hand off this thing to someone else.

“Now, then.” Nodoka said, as she stopped in front of a quaint coffee shop. “Why don’t we get a refreshment?” I looked at the sign in disdain, these places usually have some deceptive prices. “Uh, I dunno…” Nodoka raised a finger, saying “Don’t worry. Today will be on me since it was your first day on the job.” My eyes tracked hers for a bit. Well, if I don’t gotta pay, I might as well. “Hm, then why not?” Nodoka smiled, “It’s settled, then.” 

We walked into the shop, called “Malakov’s Coffee Shop”, and looked around the store for a bit. As expected, the place was small, quiet, and smelled of freshly grinded coffee beans that were simply divine. It seemed like the sort of place to have no more than five or six customers at a given time. There were only two people working there, one looked like a part time student and the other was an older man who was foreign like me, I presumed that was Malakov. We approached the menu prices, and I felt my face cave in at the prices. 

I turned to Nodoka, who still had a smile on her face, though her visibly distraught eyes and the sweating told me a different story about how she was feeling about the prices. “Nodoka, you really don’t--” She put up a hand and said while biting her lip, "It's fine, I promise." My eyes darted back to the menu, I took a gulp and said, “Well, if you insist…” Nodoka took a look around the room, and pointed “Let’s sit there.” She said, pointing at a seat by the windows.

Not wanting to break Nodoka’s wallet in two, I got a small coffee with two creams and sugar, the cheapest item on the menu. Nodoka got a coffee cake, the other cheapest item on the menu. She stared at it with a forced smile, still processing her poor financial choices. I took a sip of the coffee, it was nothing like I’d ever tasted before. I could see why things here were so pricey. “Um...It’s really good.” I said to Nodoka, as if consoling her. Her head lifted robotically, and a low, husky “That’s good…” emerged from her. I gestured to her coffee cake, “Why don’t you have a bite of that?” She looked down, and then backed up, “Oh, I would, but…”

I took another sip of my coffee, before hearing a slam on the glass of the window in front of us, followed by the muffling of a girl’s voice. I turned, and for a brief moment I thought I saw a devious smile form on Nodoka’s face. I looked to the window and nearly spit my coffee out, why does this feel so oddly familiar? The culprit of the sound was none other than Hirasawa, staring us down with her big brown orbs as her face was pressed against the glass separating us. She tried to say something, but I couldn’t understand her. I gestured for her to just come in through the entrance. 

She looked to her right, and her mouth moved in a way that said “Ohhhh.” and she was off. The door to the coffee shop opened once more as Hirasawa charged in, saying “Hey, you guys!” Nodoka and I put our fingers up to our mouths, gesturing to her to use her inside voice. “Hey, you guys.” She repeated in a whisper. I turned to her in my chair, “What’s up, Hirasawa?” Hirasawa looked at me with a smile, “I was on my way home from the clubroom, and I saw you guys here!” 

Hirasawa’s eyes quickly went back and forth between myself and Nodoka, before she asked. “Are you guys on a date…?” Nodoka quickly and sternly shot such a notion down before I could even get a word in “Absolutely not!” She said. I felt a little glum by that, Nodoka was a nice girl, smart too, I wouldn’t have minded dating her. But whatever, I guess. “Anyway, Yui, do you want some cake?” Nodoka asked. I was confused, “Wait, didn’t you--” Hirasawa cut me off, saying “Of course!” As she took a seat, she opened her mouth wide as Nodoka took a forkful of coffee cake and carefully inserted it into Hirasawa’s mouth. 

“So this is what the rich eat!” Hirasawa said as she savored each bite of the cake before swallowing. “Ah, delicious! Can I have another?” She said, gesturing towards the remainder of the coffee cake. “Of course.” Nodoka said, pushing the cake towards me. “Why don’t you feed her this time, Katnua?” I felt my face burn up at the ridiculous suggestion. “What are you trying to pull here? You feed her.” Nodoka shifted her glasses, “Oh, don’t be such a stick in the mud. It’s fun, I promise.” Hirasawa looked on in confusion as our back-and-forth continued. “I don’t care if it’s fun, I don’t wanna do it!” 

About five minutes had passed as our banter continued, eventually, I’d given up as Nodoka’s insistence would become more and more relentless. I picked up the remainder of the coffee cake with a fork and said, “Open up.” I said discontentedly. Hirasawa opened wide on command, and I fed her promptly. I slid the fork out of her mouth and placed it back down on the plate. “That was painless enough.” I said as I turned back around. “I see. I see.” Nodoka said as her hand was to her chin as she examined us. “What…?” I said cluelessly.

“That was delicious!” Hirasawa said as she slung her arms over me in a hug. Immediately, my body temperature shot up as I felt her embrace. I wanted to get her off me as soon as I could, but something was stopping me. “W-Why are you hugging me?!” I said as Hirasawa proceeded to ignore me and rub her head against my chest as what was presumably thanks for feeding her. “I SEE.” Nodoka repeated with some enthusiasm. Hirasawa eventually let go, and a sigh of relief escaped my breath. “Nodoka, your turn!” Said Hirasawa, but Nodoka would immediately put up her hand and say “Thanks, but I’ll pass.” Causing Hirasawa to back down. “That’s all it takes?” I asked. “What, did you not like it…?” Asked Nodoka. I looked away from her as my face heated up, and whispered “I didn’t say that…”

Eventually, we all left the shop and stood outside for a while. The sun was beginning to set. “Well…” Nodoka said, adjusting her glasses. “...I’ve found out some interesting things today.” I looked at her with a smile. I found out some interesting things about her today, too. “Uh, thanks for the coffee…” I said, “And thanks for the cake!” Hirasawa said in a jovial manner. “You’re very welcome.” Nodoka said with a smile, “Oh, and Katnua…” She said, pointing to the plant I was holding. “Right, I won’t forget.” I told her. “Goodbye.” Nodoka said, taking a bow, before getting one last look at us before walking away. We both gave a wave goodbye.  
“Hey, Hirasawa…” I said, “What is it, Le-Le?” I scratched my cheek and stayed silent for a few minutes. I’d finally processed what Nodoka was plotting all this time. “I’ve...got a gift for you.” Hirasawa tilted her head, before approaching me excitedly. She was a little too close, so I turned my head away from hers to avoid her infectious charm. “A gift?! What is it?! What is it?!” I slowly moved the pot from behind my back as the girl in front of me wiggled her arms in anticipation, “It’s not much, but…” I presented her with the pot Sakurai had given me. “What’s this?” She asked, confused.

“It’s a plant, but it hasn’t grown yet.” She put out her hands, and I’d gently placed the pot down in her hand. Hirasawa was silent, maybe in disbelief at how poor of a gift it was. “It’s called an alstroemeria. It’s a plant that symbolizes friendship. The better you take care of it, the stronger your friendships become.” Hirasawa stared down at the pot, which was still just wet dirt at the moment. I gulped, was she so unimpressed by that? “...What I’m saying is…” I started, stopping midway to find the courage for what I was about to say next “I hope we can be friends for a long time, Hirasawa.”

At those words, Hirasawa looked at me with a modest smile. She cradled the pot as if it were her child by then, saying “Thank you, Le-Le!” with a full smile that she would normally give. She then wrapped her arms around me in a hug again. Though this time, I gave no protest. “I’ll take good care of it.” She said as she retracted her arms. Hirasawa was normally a very happy, thankful girl but I’d never seen this sort of earnest side to her. I was really glad I got to, though. “I appreciate it.” I said sheepishly.

We went our separate ways as the sun went down. Hirasawa now had a potted plant in tow, and I had money from a hard day’s work. A lot happened for one day, but I was also pretty excited for what the future held now. I couldn’t get Hirasawa’s face earlier out of my head. Maybe Nodoka was onto something with that thing she said earlier...

I just wanted to get rid of the plant, but the way she cherished it like that...

I hope she takes good care of it.


	5. Blossoming Express

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Light Music Club prepares for the weeks ahead, Leo is confronted by a situation he never imagined himself in.

Hi there, I’m Leo Katnua. It’s been a little over a month since I’ve moved to Japan and began my attendance at Sakuragaoka High School, where I’m currently the only male enrolled. Things have been going well. I’ve made friends, joined a club, got a part-time job, and even rediscovered my passion for music. Speaking of that, I once again find myself in my music centric club room, where…

“You want me to what?!” I shrieked in horror. “I told you he’d be worried, Ritsu…” Said Akiyama, who looked at Tainaka with a blushing face. “What’s the big deal? It’s just training! Plus, the Winter Festival is coming up, so we’ve got to brush up on our skills!” Mugi frowned, “She’s right. We haven’t really practiced at all since you joined, Leo…” I pinched my nose and closed my eyes at Mugi’s words. “I get that, but asking me to come with you for the weekend is a bit…” Tainaka moved closer to me with a catty smile, “Oh, were you going to try something with one of us?” 

My face heated up at Tainaka’s question, “Wh-?! No!” Tainaka laughed and pointed at me, “Hahahaha! You’re blushing!” She patted me on the back a few times, “I’m just messin’ with you, man. I wouldn’t have told you about this if we didn’t trust you.” I looked at Tainaka as she gave me an innocent, excited smile. I felt whatever malice I had towards her vanish at her oddly honest gesture. It’s only been a month since I’ve become friends with these girls, but we really have become good friends, huh? “Ah, thanks.” I said to Tainaka.

The doors clattered open, and we were met with Hirasawa, who was huffing for her breath. “Hey, guys…” Hirasawa said, gasping. “Yui, what kept you?” Asked Akiyama as she walked over to Hirasawa, helping her over to our table. Hirasawa then lifted something in her hands, showing Akiyama what troubled her. “A pot?” Asked Tainaka as she walked over to the two. “Wait…” I said, my eyes lying upon a familiar object. “Is that…”

We all gathered around the table, with Hirasawa putting the pot in the center. Why’d she bring this to school, I wonder? “I don’t get it…” Tainaka motioned over the plant, trying to find a point of interest. “It’s just a pot of dirt.” Hirasawa raised a finger, “Maybe now, but soon, Kusaki-kun will blossom into a beautiful flower!” Who? Mugi wondered the same thing, asking “Um, Yui, who’s Kusaki-kun?” Hirasawa pointed to the pot, and we all looked down at it, dumbfounded. I couldn’t read minds, but I’m sure at that moment, we all thought ‘Is she for real right now?’

Kusaki-kun? Last I remember, ‘kusaki’ is a word merely meaning ‘plant’ or ‘foliage’. “You’re so basic, Yui.” Tainaka said, echoing my exact thoughts. “I think it’s cute, it’s simple, just like Yui.” Akiyama said, perhaps unknowing of how rude her statement actually sounded. “Ehehe…” Hirasawa laughed, her face having a slight tint of embarrassment as she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. “What made you want to raise a plant?” Mugi said, her eyes peering into the clay pot. “Ah--” Hirasawa started.

“Le-Le gave it to me, as a gift!” With her words, the other girls immediately looked at me. Their looks didn’t exactly say anything, but I still felt as if they were judging me. Their looks just peered into the deepest recesses of my mind and soul. “I-- I, uh…” For a moment, I thought about lying about why she has the pot. But I remembered that Hirasawa’s a rather delicate girl who’d definitely shed at least a few tears if I downplayed its importance, so I decided to swallow my pride and just go along with it. “Y-Yeah...Y’know, I work at a flower shop now, so I figured…”  
The girls simply nodded their heads, with prying looks. 

“I see, I see. So Leo’s already making his move, huh?” Said Tainaka, striking a certain chord within me. “What?! Oh, come on!” Mugi covered her mouth, a faint blush appearing on her fair skin. “H-How bold…” My eyes and face jolted to Mugi, such a nice girl wouldn’t really go along with this, right? “Not you too!” As I said that, Akiyama put her hand on my shoulder. Akiyama’s the smartest of our group quite easily, surely she wouldn’t go along with this too, right? “Katnua…” She looked me in the eyes, giving me a thumbs up. “Go for it. We’ll support you, every step of the way!” My jaw unconsciously went numb as it fell. “Go for WHAT?” I asked, the girls still giving me random words of encouragement. During the whole scene, Hirasawa said not a peep. Attending to Kusaki-kun’s “needs” with a smile on her face, being none the wiser to what was being discussed in her background.

I sighed, taking a seat as I observed Hirasawa pour some water into Kusaki-kun, before carefully placing him by the sunlight of the window. I smiled at the hardworking girl, who put some genuine effort into seeing the plant’s needs. Hirasawa returned to our table, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she took a seat with a prideful huff. “You know, Le-Le, taking care of him’s been kind of hard.” I tilted my head, taking care of plants can’t be that difficult, no? “Why’s that?” Hirasawa’s face beamed as she frowned, was she happy or sad? “Well, like this morning, I carried Kusaki-kun to school. And I had to be really careful not to let any of his dirt fall out.” 

“That reminds me, why’d you bring it to school anyway?” Hirasawa’s frown then turned into a light smile. “Well, you said you wanted us to be friends for a long time, right? If that’s the case, I need to take good care of it!” I gasped, she had to say that right in front of everyone else, huh? “He’s making more progress than I thought!” Said Tainaka with a surprised face, “Oh my god.” I said, giving up. “Whatever thoughts the rest of you girls might have, save it, because it’s wrong.” I stated firmly. “Okay!” Mugi and Akiyama said in synchronicity, and donning the same suspicious smile. “...Are you guys listening to me?” I asked in vain.

“Still, Hirasawa, you don’t gotta bring it to school, you know.” I said, with Hirasawa’s face tensing up at the revelation. “Huh?! I don’t?!” Akiyama’s deadpanned “Of course not, silly.” Hirasawa got up and brought Kusaki-kun over to us once more. “But, but, I’ve even stopped practicing Geetah because of this!” Who? “You didn’t really practice it much regardless.” Said Akiyama. “Mio…” Hirasawa cried at her friend’s apparently scathing, but probably true remark. “You can just leave it at home, and water it when you get home from school. It’s not some kind of newborn.” I explained to Hirasawa. “I understand!” Hirasawa said, giving a salute. I salute back, bemused.

“Anyway,” Tainaka said, leaning back in her chair. “We leave tomorrow. Hope you packed your bags, Leo.” I jumped out of my seat, nearly knocking Kusaki-kun over in the process. “TOMORROW?!” I dug my face in my hands, “You guys REALLY need to tell me these things sooner…” I slung my head back, looking at the lights above me, and sighed. “Guess I gotta pick up some things on the way home, then.” Akiyama then chimed in, “Oh, can I come with you? There’s some things I need to get too.” 

I gave a nod. “Sure, we might as well go together.” I looked down at my wristwatch, it was 4:00PM, “But if we’re to go, we should leave now.” I got up and grabbed my bag, throwing it over my shoulder. “Mind leading the way?” Hirasawa raised her hand, “Oh! Oh! I’ll do it!” Ah, don’t tell me… “We’re coming with!” Said Tainaka. So much for a quiet shopping trip. “Ah, if you don’t mind, I’d like to grab some things too.” Said Mugi, whom I was much more willing to bring along. “Fine, fine...” 

Soon enough, the five of us found ourselves in the center of the local shopping center. “Wait, where are we staying for this training camp?” Mugi gave a thumbs-up, “At one of my summer homes!” Good lord, this girl’s family is really freakin’ loaded, huh? “I...see.” I said, my face blank. “Well, I guess I better buy some swimming gear, then. And lighter clothes…” I looked to Hirasawa, who was still cradling Kusaki-kun in her arms. “Know any good places?” Hirasawa smiled, grabbing me by the wrist. “Come on, come on!” She said as she dragged me along, “Hirasawa, wait!” I yelled, the rest of the girls following behind me.

She then took me to a clothing store which had a beach theme, called ‘Tideside’. “Looks kinda empty…” Said Tainaka, “I can’t imagine they get many customers this time of year.” Said Akiyama, activating the automated door. Hirasawa put Kusaki-kun on the receptionists’ desk, asking them to watch him for her. As she did that, I looked to the boys’ section of the store. My eyes first landed on the price tags. 6000 Yen? No. 5000 Yen? Nah. 3500 Yen? Good enough, I suppose. I grabbed the cheapest pair of swimming trunks and sandals I could find. “Alright, I think I’m set.” I said, as I returned to where the girls were.

I eyed the girls as they browsed through various clothes and accessories. “Wouldn’t this be cute?” Said Hirasawa, as she picked up a pink bikini. “Oh, for sure!” Said Tainaka, picking up her own swimsuit. “Oh, but check this out!” As their conversation continued, I left them alone and went to buy my things. Heading outside the store in waiting for them once I was done. I sighed, “Man, she would really be cute in that swimsuit…”

Wait, what did I just say? Ugh, I can feel my chest tensing up. “God, what is wrong with me?” I leaned on the store’s outer walls, and looked up. “W-Well…” My face reddened as I tried to justify my train of thought to myself. “...I’m a teenage boy, yeah? It’s only normal to think about these things. And besides…” Suddenly, my thinking aloud was cut off. “Uh, Leo?” I jumped at a familiar voice, turning around to see a puzzled Akiyama. “A-Ah! Y-Yes?! What is it?” Akiyama’s puzzled look continued. “Um, we’re all done now.” The others exited the shop, with bags in their hands. “Oh…” I said, letting out a sigh.

Our shopping concluded, and we went our separate ways for the day. Thank goodness, being around those girls for an extended period of time honestly drove me nuts in more than one way. Anyway, we were to meet at the train station tomorrow at 8:30AM. We’d be on the train for a while, so none of us could afford to be late. I got home and went to bed early that night, although being with those girls for an extended period of time sucked whatever energy I had out of me anyway. Until the next morning arrived…

We all arrived at the train station at the designated time, about 30 minutes before the train would pull off. All of us, except for… “Hirasawa’s late again, huh? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” I said, scratching the back of my head. “We'd be in big trouble if she ended up sleeping in on us. That girl is way too easy going.” Said Tainaka. “Has anyone tried calling her?” Mugi suggested. “No dice.” Said Akiyama, “She’s not picking up at all.”

The time was now 8:28AM, the train would be arriving anytime now. Just then, we heard the desperate clattering of a suitcase. “That’s her.” I said, identifying the cries of the careless girl. Hirasawa was late, as she tended to be. But the girls really cut into her for it this time. “Jeez, Yui!” Yelled Tainaka. “Could you have cut it any closer?!” Hirasawa desperately pleaded for mercy. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! But I was watching--” Akiyama wasn’t having it though, cutting her off and saying “We don’t wanna hear it!” 

I sighed as the train approached, “You guys’ll have plenty of time to dig into her later. Let’s just get going.” The girls grabbed their things and boarded the train after me. We took a seat on the right side of the car, the seats came in sets of four that faced each other. The girls took a set, while I sat in a set behind them by my lonesome, sitting near the window. “Feelin’ lonely back there, Leo?” Tainaka teased, “Actually, it’s pretty roomy back here!” I said, loudly kicking my feet up in retaliation, with a deliberately obnoxious “Ahhh!” Mugi giggled at our antics.

“Hey!” Tainaka shot up in her chair, looking down at me from her seat. “Not fair!” I looked up at her, “If it’s so unfair, then we can switch!” I said with a catty smile. “Fine, loner!” Tainaka said, sitting back down. “Hmph!” She said in a defeated tone. “Heh!” I said, victorious. For once, I had a leg up against Tainaka. That was enough to satiate me for a time. “So, anyway…” Mugi began.

“What does this training camp even pertain to?” Mugi asked. “I was wondering the same thing, actually.” I said, not being in the know. “Honestly kinda feels like we’re just going on vacation or something.” 

“Hmm…” Akiyama started, “Well, I was thinking we could do exercises pertaining to improving how we perform. We could work on things like building stamina, and working more as a team.” Hirasawa groaned, “That sounds like fun.” She said, her voice completely contrasting the supposed enthusiasm in her statement. “Come on now, Yui. No complaining.” Akiyama scolded. “Yeah…” Tainaka let out a sigh, “No matter how you slice it, we’ve been slacking too much. Even still, I wanna be serious about this. We’ve got to reach our goal!”

“What goal?” I asked. “Aren’t you guys doing this for fun?” Tainaka jumped from her seat, “As if! Unlike you, we’ve got goals!” I suppressed my annoyance in that moment, “Okay, and what might those goals pertain to…?” Tainaka rose her arm skyward, pointing a finger that scraped the ceiling of our train cart. “Our goal...Is to play on the biggest, best stage around!” I gave her an unimpressed look, to which Tainaka asked me “Hey, what’s that look for?” I turned back around and relaxed. “Nothing, it’s just...kinda vague, innit?” 

“Yes, I suppose it is.” Mugi agreed, “Well...When you put it that way…” Hirasawa reluctantly agreed. “Leave it to Ritsu to not think ahead.” Akiyama added. “HEY! What’s with all these shots you’re taking at me today?!” Tainaka protested. “Well, at least you’re all serious about this. Planning a trip like this couldn’t have been easy. Although...Since you planned it within the span of the ONE day I took off from the club, maybe I’m giving you guys too much credit…” Tainaka growled, evidently not happy with my comment.

“But still…” I said, growing a bit quieter. “...Thanks for bringing me along. I’d never do stuff like this back home.” Tainaka grew quiet, taking a seat. “Ah, well, you’re welcome...” I brought the mood down, didn’t I? “Ah, Le-Le, I--” Hirasawa started, before cutting herself off. “...What is it?” Hirasawa stammered for a moment, maybe thinking of what to say? “We really do trust you, Le-Le…” Her voice felt a little forced, but I decided to roll with it. “Ah, thanks, Hirasawa.” Hirasawa giggled, “It’s Yui.” She said in a playful voice. 

About an hour would pass after that. Not much happened in the meantime, the girls had idle chatter which I occasionally got brought into, whether I wanted to be or not. I didn’t do much besides play my video game and stare out into the ocean. The view was nice, definitely not one I was particularly used to either. Eventually, my eyelids become heavy. ‘Maybe I’ll get just a few minutes of shut-eye.’ I thought as I closed my eyes and leaned back in my chair. 

I was left alone for a few minutes, eventually, I no longer heard the chatter of the girls. Were they sleepy, too? All I’d heard was the quiet hums of the air conditioning and the clattering of the train as it moved along the track. ‘Ahhh, peace and quiet.’ I thought to myself. This life sure is a more exciting one, but I sometimes miss this kind of tranquility. Said tranquility was brought to a halt though, as something touched my cheek. 

My cheek was poked again, and again. I swatted away the hand poking me, “Go away.” I said plainly, wanting to get back to sleep asap. The hand persisted, and I swatted away again. My eyes opened to the perpetrator. “Hirasawa, what are you doing?” I asked the brunette, as she stood there like a deer in headlights. “Ahhh...Well, everyone else is asleep, so I got bored. Would you mind if I sat next to you?” My eyes looked to her, then back to the window as they closed once more. “Do as you like.” I said.

Hirasawa took a seat, patting me on the shoulder. “Hey, Le-Le, look here!” I opened one of my eyes, but then opened both as I saw what she’d wanted me to see. “You brought Kusaki-kun with you? Why?” I asked as I eyed the earth-filled pot. “Well, if we’re going to be gone for a few days, I gotta take care of him.” She said, spinning the pot ever so slightly. “Couldn’t you just ask someone to do it?” I asked. “Absolutely not! I chose to take care of him, so he’s my responsibility. I couldn’t put that on someone else.” I paused for a second, what a non-Hirasawa thing to say. “That’s...uncharacteristically mature of you.” Hirasawa smiled, “D’aaw shucks, I guess it is a little weird, huh?” 

“But ever since I joined the Light Music Club, I’ve just wanted to give these kinds of things my all.” I thought about what she meant by that for a moment. “I think I get what you mean. You wanna do these sorts of things for the sake of other people, even if it means going out of your comfort zone, yeah?” Hirasawa giggled, “Something like that!” I nodded, smiling. “Keep doing your best, Hirasawa.”

Hirasawa and I would talk for the rest of our trip, forgoing my plan to sleep as I’d intended to. I’d learned a bit more about her, and vice versa. She was a curious girl, alright. One who went at her own pace, and one who needed lots of help along the way. She apparently had a younger sister, who, from the sounds of it, picked up the slack when it came to responsibilities. I was a little more reluctant to open up to her about my old life, but the way Hirasawa talked to me so carefree about it made me want to at least try to do so.

One day, Hirasawa. I promise, one day, you’ll know everything.


	6. Knowing You: Mugi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Light Music Club is further exposed to Mugi's life outside the clubroom, she and Leo will become closer through strange happenstance.

Hi everyone, it’s Leo. Today is a bit different from normal. I find myself on a sudden training camp trip with the rest of my friends in the Light Music Club. Thus, we find ourselves at one of Mugi’s vacation homes for a little while. This is supposedly in preparation for the Winter Festival. But as we walk through the great halls of Mugi’s summer home, I begin to wonder about how much work we’ll actually get done. 

“Wow…” All of us except for Mugi said, our voices echoing as we were guided to the great house’s living room by one of its many fine servants. “Mugi, you come here every summer…?” I asked in utter disbelief. “Not every summer.” She said, “Usually, my family goes to the ones out in Okinawa or Ishigaki. This one’s actually rather small.” We all looked, dumbfounded “Unbelievable.” We all said, save for Mugi. “Oh, but I assure you, the service here is great!” Mugi said, somewhat panicked as she incorrectly read our reactions. “That’s not what we were talking about…” Said Tainaka.

We were led to the large and expensive-looking living room, the servant softly said a few words to Mugi that I couldn’t make out. He gave a bow, and Mugi waved. After that, he took his leave. "Well, we got here kind of late, so why don't we begin our training tomorrow? In the meantime, let's just have dinner and relax." Akiyama suggested. “Oh, slacking off already, Mio?” Tainaka teased, poking at her friend. “Oh, shut it. We’re all tired tonight, but make no mistake, we start first thing in the morning.”

“Dinner does sound good right about now, though.” I said, circling my empty stomach. “Oh, let’s have the chefs make us something!” Hirasawa suggested excitedly. “Hey, good idea.” I said, wanting something rather quickly without much effort. “Well, we’re your guests, Mugi.” Said Tainaka, turning to her. “It’s your call.” Mugi jolted, perhaps not being used to calling the shots. “U-um, well…” She wobbled in place, twiddling her fingers. “Well…” Her eyes averted our gazes momentarily. “I’d like to, uh…”

“I’d like for us to cook ourselves!” Mugi finally declared with visible exhaustion. We tilt our heads at the girl’s odd desire. “How come, Mugi?” Asked Ritsu. “Yeah, I thought you’d be all for the more high-class stuff.” I said, puzzled. “Well, it’s just, in TV shows I watch, whenever people go to spend the night over their friends’ house, people go out to buy groceries, make home made meals, and talk about how good or bad the cooking is.” Tainaka and Akiyama took quick glances at each other, seemingly recalling doing that exact thing on more than one occasion. “I see.” They said in sync, with comical faces. “Can anyone here even cook, though?” Asked Tainaka.

I raised my hand. “You leave that to me.” Yui’s mouth widened. “Eh, Le-Le, you can cook?” I nodded, folding my arms. “Well, I live by myself, so I kind of have to know how to.” Tainaka took a seat on the floor, leaning against the ottoman. “Okay, well, we’ve got a cook. Now we just need to grab the groceries.” Once again, I raised my hand. “Well, since I’m cooking, I might as well be the one to get the ingredients I’ll be cooking with.” I looked to the rest of the girls. “Is there anything you all might want?” 

“Oh! Oh!” Tainaka raised her hand, excitedly tossing her upper body about. “I want lobster! And steak! Can you do filet mignon?! Oooooh…!” Tainaka rapidly listed off impossibly refined and expensive foodstuffs, all while moving her hands upon an imaginary table lined with the sort of high-living cuisine she thought she’d be having upon arriving at this estate. “Ow!” Tainaka yelped as her daydream was brought to an end by a cold chop to the head from Akiyama. “Let’s put a lid on that right now.” Akiyama said, balling up her hand into a less deadly weapon. “Why don’t we do curry? That should be reasonable for you.” Hirasawa bolted up at the words “Oh, yeah! Curry, curry!”

A light smile formed across my face at Hirasawa’s eagerness. “Sure, curry it is.” Mugi then walked towards me with an earnest look on her face. “Let me come with you!” I eyed her curiously, “That’s fine, but why?” Mugi fidgeted in place, “I’ve never been grocery shopping before!” Her big blue eyes shined brightly. “I’d really love to try it!” I guess that’s as good a reason as any, her parents must be really protective of her, huh? “Alright, you guys stay put, we’ll head off to the store and grab what we need.” I said, as we headed out the room and into the entrance hall of the large house.

We headed for the large, double sided mahogany door that led to the main street, an easy pathway to the grocery store. As I was about to put my hand on the door, I was stopped by the sudden emergence of two large body guards. “Yikes!” I yelped, their sudden appearance knocking me flat on my behind. I looked up at the two, I think I recognized them as the people who dropped Mugi off when we all went out together. “Ms. Tsumugi…” The large man started, “Where would you happen to be going at this hour?”

“Um, we wanted to take a trip to the grocery store. You see, Leo is going to cook for us.”  
The large lady then opened her mouth, “You know your father forbids going out of the house when the sun has set. If you’re hungry, we can have the chefs prepare you and your friends a five-course meal. It will be ready in an hour.” I stood up, putting my foot forward. “Look, Mugi really just wants to go shopping, alright? Can you please move aside?” The two guards then stomped their feet in sync, like military soldiers, declaring “Absolutely not!” 

“Please return to your rooms!” They said. “But--” I attempted to bargain, “Return!” They said, snapping their heels to the ground with a dominant slam. “Let’s just go, Leo…” Mugi said glumly, grabbing the fabric of my shirt. I gave a disapproving frown at the two guards, before turning around. “Fine.” Mugi said nothing as we walked the halls back to the living room, staring at the expensive carpet beneath her with disappointment filling her eyes. “Hey, Mugi…” I said, trying to console her. “It’s fine.” Mugi said in an obvious lie. “I’m used to this kind of thing.”

We returned to the room empty-handed. “That was fast!” Tainaka chirped, running toward us with airplane arms. “Wait…” Tainaka realized, “Where’s the food?” I gave a casual shrug, “We didn’t get any. We tried to leave, but they won’t allow Mugi to.” Mugi gave a pitiful, yet embarrassed groan. “Oh, I can’t believe this!” Mugi said, flailing her hands like a small child. “I thought my father said he’d stop doing this when I started attending high school!” Akiyama looked at me, “Well, what now?” I gave a lackadaisical gesture, “Now, we wait. They said they’d bring us food later.” 

“Hmm…” Hirasawa said with an oddly serious look on her face. “What’s up, Hirasawa?” I asked her. “We can’t give up!” Hirasawa proclaimed, shocking the entire room, myself included. “Give...What up?” Said Akiyama. Hirasawa ran up to Mugi, throwing her arm over her shoulder. “Mugi, do you really wanna do this?” Hirasawa asked her. “Well...yes.” Hirasawa moved in closer to her, their cheeks now touching. “Do you really, really wanna do this?” Mugi’s confused face morphed into a tenacious one. “Yes, I do!” Mugi said, her voice now filled with absolute clarity. “Then we know what has to be done!” Hirasawa said, her eyes fiery.

“This...is oddly over the top.” I said, observing the movie-like scene. After that, Hirasawa walked over to me, each footstep seeming heavier than the last. “Le-Le, can you help her?” I gave Hirasawa a bewildered look, “Wha…? Why me?” Hirasawa moved closer to me, her earnest eyes were honestly a little hypnotic, so I looked away. “Because you’re the only one we can rely on right now! Can’t you think of something?” I was a little confused about why Hirasawa came to such a conclusion, but I suppose she wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Hmm…” I said, not wanting to get the girls’ hopes up. But the innocence of their eyes laid into me like a contrastingly ferocious pack of wild wolves. “Alright, alright!” I said, conceding. “Just…” I said, getting one good look at them before begging. “...stop looking at me like that, okay?” My compliance was rewarded with a wide smile from Hirasawa, “Woohoo!” Hirasawa said, rocketing up a peace sign, signaling her victory over me. “You hear that, Mugi?” Hirasawa said excitedly. Mugi gave a few rapid nods, before quickly crawling over to me like some sort of cute bug. “What do we do, Leo?”

“Hmm, well…” I thought about the major roadblocks that may impede us from our goal. The main ones were obviously the guards at the front door, but… “Hey, Mugi, are there any other exits to this place that you might know about?” Mugi nodded. “Yes, there’s a backdoor, the basement door, and the pool.” As she recounted the various exits of the house, a realization struck her. “Oh, but those are all guarded.” I folded my arms, and leaned back on the couch I’d been sitting on. “Ah, shoot.” Though, as luck would have it, our ticket to freedom would be laid right in front of me as a result.

“The window…!” I said. The girls gasped at my crazy idea. “You can’t be serious!” Said Akiyama, who was against my admittedly rash idea. “Well, we don’t really have a choice otherwise.” Tainaka defended. “It’s not some kind of life or death situation!” Akiyama said, being entirely truthful. “But it is to Mugi!” Hirasawa said, Tainaka and Mugi nodding at her statement. “But--” Akiyama started, before I put my hand on her shoulder. “Akiyama...Give it up.” I said. Akiyama facepalmed, the sound echoing in the room. It left a visible mark on her head, “Fine...Just be safe, okay?” I nodded sagely, not wanting to cause her more problems than we already are.

“Alright.” I said, kneeling in front of the window with my hands cupped together, ready to give Mugi a boost to the window. “You’re up first, Mugi.” Mugi brought her fists close to her chest, eyes determined and focused. “Okay!” Mugi walked forward, finally taking a step on my hands. Thankfully, the girl didn’t weigh too much, so boosting her was a largely painless process. “I made it!” Said Mugi, now sitting on the window sill. “Alright, I’ll follow behind you in a bit. Be careful on your way down, and don’t make too much noise.” Mugi gave me two thumbs up, and dropped down to the outer wall of the house.

“Okay!” I said, jumping up and grabbing hold of the ledge of the window cill, before using my upper body to sit comfortably on the window cill. I turned to the girls, “We’ll be back soon, make sure you keep this window open, okay?” Akiyama opened her phone, before closing it. “You have 45 minutes, so don’t take too long, alright?” Hirasawa gave me a wave, “Good luck, Le-Le!” I smiled at the girls, before turning to the dark of the night as I leaped from the window.

“Phew…” I said, recovering from my landing. “Mugi, you alright?” I said, looking at the blonde who seemed perfectly fine. “Oh, yes. I’m doing just fine.” She laughed. “Well, that’s good.” I smiled, she seemed to already be having fun. “We don’t have much time, so let’s get going. Lead the way.” I said. “Leave it to me.” Mugi said with a salute. As such, Mugi would be leading us. The streets were rather quiet, the only thing keeping us company being the cars that occasionally passed us. 

We’d arrived at the grocery store not long after, the chilled arctic winds of its air conditioning being refreshing after walking through the strangely warm night of autumn. “I’ll go grab a shopping cart.” I told Mugi, who evidently wasn’t listening as she was completely enamored with the strange new land she’d found herself in. I let her be, and grabbed a shopping cart, returning to her as she’d stood in place the entire time, still dazzled at our new setting. “Heeeey, Mugi?” I said, trying to call out to her. “Uh-- Huh? Yes?” She said, her spell finally having been broken. “We gotta get a move on.” I said, rolling the cart with her following behind me. “Okay!” 

Some time passed, and eventually I found myself getting everything I needed with relative ease. Carrots, potatoes, curry roux, ground beef, white rice, and mushrooms. “All the essentials.” I said, tossing the last of the ingredients for Beef Curry into the cart. “That should be everything.” I said, weighing the potatoes to determine their exact cost, about 600 Yen. “We should head to the line, Mugi.” I said, with no response garnered. “Mugi?” I repeated, looking around me. “Ah.” I said, my eyes landing on her as she stared into a tank holding lobster. I guess she still wants to look around? 

“Hey, Mugi.” I said, rolling my cart towards her. “What’re ya doin’?” I asked. Mugi’s face detached from the lobster tank, “Oh, Leo! I was just watching these little guys.” I leaned over, getting a good look at the lobster. They weren’t doing anything of note, but Mugi was very interested in them all the same. “Huh…” I said, taking a false interest in the happenings of the lobster. “Leo, do you think we could--” Immediately, I knew what she wanted and decided to nip that dream at the bud. “Not a chance.” I said plainly.  
“Aw, pleeease?” Mugi said with puppy dog eyes. “No. If we wanted lobster, we’d have stayed put.” Mugi then groaned and whined much like that of an actual puppy, growing closer and closer to me. She’s almost definitely trying to make me feel bad on purpose. She was driving me into both a figurative and literal corner. “Oh!” I said, beginning my desperate escape. “Why don’t we buy snacks for everyone? You know, to snack on at night and stuff.” Mugi’s eyes shifted from sympathy gathering to curious. “Yes, I suppose they would like that. Wouldn’t they?” She said, her eyes now wandering around the store.

Mugi then skipped around the store much like that of a remissful child, grabbing handfuls of whatever she thought was remotely tasty-looking. I followed her, humming with the rolling of the cart I brought in tow. As I followed her, she dumped random things into it. Pudding, potato chips, cup ramen of various different flavors, all sorts of stuff that I assume she never tried before. Before I knew it, the cart was practically overflowing. All I could think about would be how much of a pain in the ass it would be to carry all of this back. But why do I feel as though I’m forgetting something?

We headed up to the register, placing our many items on the conveyor belt. We got exactly the sort of look I was expecting from the lady at the counter. All I could do is give an awkward wave as she stared us down, wondering what the hell we’d even be doing with all this stuff in the first place. Not even I knew, in all honesty. The whole time this was happening, Mugi bobbed up and down in excitement, like some kind of wind-up toy. Once our many items were bagged and we’d paid for the items, which Mugi mostly bought, we were on our way, bidding the store farewell.

“Urgh…!” I let out, my body under the strain of carrying the grand majority of the items. Even though Mugi was the reason we got most of these items, I still saw it fit to be the one to carry most of the items. Mugi still wanted to help, so I had her carry the bag of carrots. “That looks quite heavy, why don’t I take some of that off your hands?” Mugi said, motioning her hands towards the bag. I pulled the bags away from her, “I-It’s fine…” I said, clearly still struggling. But at this point, it’s a matter of pride on whether I can tow all this stuff back to the house or not.

“That sure was fun!” Said Mugi, happily skipping along the road’s sidewalk. “S-Sure…” I said, trying to keep conversation despite the immense weights of the bags very nearly ripping off my arms. “Oh, wait…” I said, bringing my hand up to wipe the sweat from my forehead. “Mugi, what time is it?” Mugi opened her phone, before closing it. “It’s 8:55…” I looked down on the ground, trying to recall what it was that compelled me to ask her that question.

Suddenly, the recollection struck me like a bolt of lightning. “Oh, shoot!” I said, an internal countdown now being burned into my head. It’s cliche, but we had five minutes to get back before trouble would arise. “What is it?” Mugi asked, not understanding the significance of the timer we were now on. “We gotta get going!” I said, “The cooks will notice if we’re not there!” Mugi’s body straightened out at my words, now understanding the peril we were in. “Oh no! What do we do?!” 

Against all better judgements for my physical health, I racked up all of the bags I carried on one arm, grabbing Mugi’s wrist with my now free hand. “There’s only one thing we can do!” I declared, revving up my lower body! “Run!” I yelled, now bolting forward against the heavy blow of the wind. My body turned into an engine as we ran forward, my chest even heating up from this immense physical exhaustion.

We cleared our previous walk in record time. In a bit of luck, the summer home was placed at the end of a downward slope. So as long as my legs kept moving, I could leave the rest to gravity. As for Mugi, she kept pace surprisingly well. Not breaking as much of a sweat as I did. “Almost there!” I said, the summer home now in view. We stopped in front of the window we’d made our escape from, my feet skidding across the grass as we came to our halt.

“Two minutes left!” Mugi warned. “Alright!” I said, putting down the groceries and rotating my right arm in preparation. “This is gonna be close!” I said. I did the same kneeling potion from earlier, once again cupping my hands together. “I need you to put lots of energy into this, okay?!” I yelled to Mugi, wanting to make sure she could jump into the window. “But you--” Mugi started, I cut her off. We really didn’t have any time for this. “I’ll be fine! Now, c’mon!”

Mugi nodded in understanding, and took a running position. Before long, she bolted, running at me and vaulting off my hands. She made the jump, and with flying colors at that. This girl’s got some serious Charles Atlas tier athleticism going on, huh? My hands stung like a bitch from that, but I had no time to dwell on it. Immediately, I took my own position, looking at the various bags left on the grass.

I chucked the bags through the window with desperate accuracy. One after another, they were thrown out of the dark of the night, into the light filtering out of the window. Eventually, none were left. “One minute!” I said to myself to remind me of the dangers and consequences, should I be so much as a second off. I took a running position, and imagined the sound of a gun firing in my head. I ran. I ran as fast as I could humanly muster without breaking down completely.

My foot hit the walls, and for only a moment, I ran up that wall. For a small moment in time, it's as if the earth did me a favor, and made it so that the laws of gravity simply didn’t apply to me. Once that favor was over and I was back to being a normal human being, I desperately reached out to the window sill with both my hands. I only barely managed to claw on to it, my fate now literally hanging by a figurative thread.

I raised my upper body with the remaining strength my body had left. My mouth let out a groan, telling me that there was going to be serious consequences for abusing my body like this later. In any case, I ignored its warnings, finally finding the power I needed to get inside. I threw myself through the window, just like I did the bags earlier. My behind landed squarely on the rug beneath me. I’m pretty sure I shattered something when I landed, but I was too exhausted to pay that possibility any mind.

“Le-Le!” Hirasawa said, dashing to me. “That…” I said, resting my whole body on the floor. “...That really freakin’ sucked…” I said, my voice petering out. Akiyama looked down at her watch. “Ten seconds to spare. You cut it a bit close there.” Hirasawa placed my head on her lap, had I been even slightly less tired, I would have immediately protested such an action. But I suppose I was too exhausted to even resist her in the first place. “Yeah...We may have gotten a little sidetracked…” I admitted, recounting my little adventure with Mugi. 

The doors to the living room opened with an almost authoritative energy. “Ms. Tsumugi--” The butler’s voice struck fear into us all. With his calling of Mugi’s name, the girls, save Hirasawa, suspiciously gathered around in one spot. Hiding the groceries that now populated the room we were residing in with their bodies. “What is happening here…?” The butler asked as he observed the room’s suspicious happenings, his voice growing darker, with a slight hint of animosity. 

“We’re, uh…” Akiyama started, struggling to come up with a sensible excuse. “We’re playing a game!” Tainaka said, finishing what her friend started. The butler eyed us all, wary. “Playing...A game…?” He said, standing in place, but still surveying the room with his eyes. “Y-Yes…” Mugi said, her nervousness surely compromising us. The butler cleared his throat, coughing into his hand. “Very well, then.” He said, returning to his usual pleasant and refined mannerisms. “Ms. Tsumugi, dinner is now served. Please head to the Dining Area with your friends at your leisure.” Mugi nodded, causing the butler to take a bow and exit the room posthaste.

We all let out a sigh at the butler’s exit. “Close call…” I said, “Yeah, no kidding.” Said Tainaka, relaxing her body. After that, whines and wheezes began to escape from Mugi, her eyes tearing up. “Mugi, are you okay?” Asked Hirasawa, reaching her hands out to her in worry. The whines and wheezes grew more intense, as did our worry for the girl. “Uh, should we--” I said, only to be cut off by laughter.

Mugi erupted into an absolute fit, rolling across the floor as her lid finally exploded. “Mugi?!” We all said as the girl continued her laughter across the fine floors beneath her. “Ahahaha!” Eventually, her laughing calmed down somewhat. She wiped a tear from her eye. “Oh, it was all just so funny!” Tainaka tilted her head, “What was?” Mugi stretched her arms out, flapping them like some kind of bird with large eyebrows. “That! All of it!”

“Oh, the supermarket! The lobster! The mad dash we did to get back here! The way we jumped through the window!” She said, all while giving a visual play-by-play of what transpired while we were gone. “It was all so wonderful!” She said, twirling with the sort of energy that I wish I had right now. “I’ve never had a day so exciting before!” She said, smiling ear-to-ear. Akiyama and Tainaka watched her with smiles, happy for their friend. Mugi would then go into even greater detail as she went over today’s events.

I sighed, Hirasawa looked down at me. “This is all thanks to you, Le-Le.” I looked at Hirasawa briefly, before shutting my eyes. “I didn’t do anything.” I said with a slight frown. Did I? I wonder… “Yes, you did!” Hirasawa said, putting her hands on my face, causing my eyes to open and meet her large brown orbs. “I don’t think Mugi would have had the courage to go out and do that on her own.” Her words gave me pause. I suppose what she said may have been true, but to what extent, I wonder? 

“I bet today really meant a lot to her!” Hirasawa said, smiling down at me. “Is that right…?”   
“It is!” Hirasawa said, her dazzling smile upending me and causing my face to burn up. I only just realized what we were doing. How long was I lying on her lap, again? I shot up and tried to shake off the embarrassment to no avail. “A-Anyway, I need to go make the food now…! Mugi! Is there an extra kitchen anywhere…?” Mugi stated simply, “Oh, yes, there’s one in the basement.” 

“Great, great.” I said, my voice tinged in shaky embarrassment. “I’ll get started right away!” I said, stomping over to the grocery bags, picking up miscellaneous bags. I didn’t know if the bags even contained the correct contents for the curry, and I didn’t care. I just wanted to leave the room as soon as I could. The girls, especially Hirasawa, all gave me very confused looks. Hirasawa, are you even aware of what you’re doing, I wonder?

I left the room, shutting the door behind me as I headed for the basement kitchen. “Man, what a pain.” I declared plainly, needing to say something. Once again, I find myself walking my path alone. As I always have. I let out a sigh, “I really had no reason to do that, didn’t I?” I admitted to myself. I dragged my hand across my face, “Man…”

“...You need to be more honest with yourself, Leo.” I said, my voice echoing in the isolated hall.


	7. Knowing You: Mio & Ritsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the Light Music Club's training continues, a fight breaks out between Mio and Ritsu. Looking to quickly repair the damage caused by this, Leo and Mugi take it upon themselves to ensure they make up.

What do you picture when you’re at the beach? The scorch of the summer sun? The sound of the crashing waves as the ocean touches the hot sand? Perhaps families munching on watermelon? Or maybe a group of people playing volleyball? How about people sitting under an umbrella, trying to get that perfect tan? Or lastly, how about the girls? For me, only that last part is true, but not under the circumstances one would normally hope. 

Hi everyone, it’s Leo. Today begins our second day of Training Camp, and our first day of actual training proper. As Akiyama promised yesterday, our training began bright and early. We started with running along the coast of the beachside, seeing as it was the middle of autumn, and it was a cold morning, we had the beach pretty much entirely to ourselves. We ran, ran, and ran some more. I could feel my legs becoming jellified. We’d been running for what felt like hours. “Mercy...please…” I pathetically whimpered.

Akiyama came to a halt, her feet kicking up sand as she did so. “Alright, we can take a break for now. Good effort, everyone!” Akiyama said, as if this required no effort. Besides myself and Hirasawa, who was almost as tired, everyone seemed fine, somehow. “H-How…” I said, looking on as the girls in front of me held idle chatter. “It’s like they’re superhuman…” Hirasawa said, equally bewildered. “Yeah, no kidding.” I said, wiping the sweat off my head. I then sat down on the cold sand, my legs finally being given some respite. Hirasawa followed my lead, sitting on her behind, before laying on her back. “So cold…” She said.

Tainaka stopped her conversation with Mugi and Akiyama and looked at me with a smile, wiping the sweat off her head. “Wow, Leo. You look like garbage!” I was too exhausted to think up any sort of witty response, I just lied down in the cold sand, relaxing my body. “Yeah, thanks…” I huffed. “I feel like garbage too.” I looked up at the still skies with soft blues and oranges above us as my body desperately reconstituted the air it so desperately needed. “Why…” Hirasawa said as she attempted to lift her head up to no avail. “Why are we doing this again?” She asked. A good question. Why were we doing this training regimen from hell, again?

“Stamina.” Akiyama said bluntly. “If we’re going to be up on stage singing and moving our bodies about, we’ve got to ensure that we have the energy to do so.” Tainaka bent down to get a better look at my exhausted face. “Mm-hmm! We can’t have you collapsing on stage like you did when you got back yesterday.” That was kind of rough. “Makes sense, I guess…” I said, rattling my neck so as to crack it. Mugi looked from right to left briefly. “Why don’t I go get us some water?” Akiyama nodded approvingly. “Ah, good idea.”

I laid there idly, not saying a word. I simply looked at the passing clouds above as my aching body slowly began to ache a little less. The clouds began to well up, darkening as they did so. “Le-Le…” Hirasawa said blankly. “Yeah?” I said, equally lacking in emotion. “Rain.” She said, as she observed the clouds block out the sun almost completely. “Yeah.” I said, not really caring about the impending torrent that we’d soon face. “Aw man, and things were just warming up to.” Akiyama said as she looked up at the now out-of-view sun. Tainaka stretched, a smile on her face now that it more or less meant training had concluded. “Guess we’d better head back then, huh?”

“We’re leaving?” Mugi returned, holding some water bottles. “Seems that way. We can continue once the skies are clear.” I gave a sigh of relief, fully aware that my body could take no more of this had we continued. “Oh, thank god.” I stood upright, wiping the sand off my backside and out of my hair. “Uuuu…” Hirasawa petered out, like a broken air conditioner. “Ah, she can’t move…Hey Mugi, do you mind…?” Mugi smiled...For some reason. “Ah-- W-well…” She stuttered.

“You see, I’d love to, but…” She said, looking down at the water bottles that occupied her arm space. “Oh.” I turned to my next two options, “Hey, Akiyama, Tainaka, can one of you guys-- Ah shit…” I said, reaching my arms out to Akiyama and Tainaka as they were having a chat. Why’d they choose now to start leaving Hirasawa behind, huh? “Let’s hurry and catch up to them, okay?” Mugi said with an odd blush. Maybe the exercise got to her? I turned around to Hirasawa, who almost looked like a dead body, her only sign of life being that I could still hear pained groans coming from her. I grimaced as I turned back around. “Alright, let’s just get this over with…” I said with a sigh.

I got up, the sudden strain from doing so causing me to nearly fall over. “Oof…” I walked over to Hirasawa, and kneeled. “Come on, time to go.” I said, poking at her arm. Hirasawa’s body shivered, perhaps from the cold. But she was otherwise completely slack. “H’okay…” I exerted as I began to lift that same arm over my shoulder. Hirasawa was thankfully on the light side, and was kind of small to boot. “I guess this isn’t that bad.” I said, effectively giving the limp girl a piggyback ride. She gave another small groan. “Hold on, kid. We’re almost there.” I reassured her.

Tainaka and Akiyama were quite far ahead of us, but Mugi stayed behind and kept the two of us company as we slowly made our way back to the summer home. “Ah, so warm…” Hirasawa said as she dug her head into my shoulder for warmth. My body lit up perhaps even more from her act, her soft body hugging up against mine like this was already a bit much for me to take. “H-Hey, why don’t you stop moving, and talking while you’re at it…” I said, not wanting to be riled up any more than I already have. “You’re so mean…” She let out weakly. I could only let out half-hearted laughter in response.

Mugi looked at me with a curious smile, her blue orbs causing me much confusion as they tried to probe my inner thoughts. “What…?” I said, wanting to know why she’s intruding. “Well, it’s just…” She said, moving closer to me. “You’ve been smiling this whole time, Leo.” She said with a chipper tone. I moved a hand to my mouth, tracing the edges of my lips. She was right, had I really been smiling for this long? What was the reason, I wonder? “Hm, is that not normal?” I questioned. The blonde shook her head, her expression turning into one of concern.

“No, not at all. I mean, you smile sometimes, but…” Mugi tilted her head. “Leo, have you never noticed that you frown most of the time? You’ve always got this...detached look on your face, like you couldn’t care less about what was happening around you.” For such a sweet girl, she sure doesn’t mince her words. “It’s kinda scary…” Hirasawa added lazily. “Is that right?” I asked her. “Yes…” Mugi gasped, pointing at me. “In fact, there’s the exact expression I mean!” Well, I don’t have a mirror on me. So I don’t exactly know what she means by that. “Maybe it’s unconscious…” The girl theorized. “Maybe…” I said, loosely pondering what she could have meant by that.

In any case, we’d arrived back at the summer home, where we were greeted to an unpleasant scene. “You’re always like this, Ritsu!” Akiyama barked, “Pot calling the kettle black, huh?!” Tainaka retaliated. The two were right next to each other, their noses scraping each other as they boiled in anger. I’m sure I saw sparks flying between the two as their almost assuredly pointless clash continued.

“Time out!” Mugi said, her superhuman strength coming to the rescue to separate the two as they began to swing at each other with kaiju-like screams. “What are you two doing?!” Mugi yelled over them, trying to be the voice of reason between two evidently unreasonable people. I lied Hirasawa down, who’d fallen asleep at this point, down on the couch near me. “We weren’t even separated for that long, what could you possibly have argued about…?” I said, looking over to them with utter confusion. “Whatever it is, it’s not worth fighting over.” I pointed to them. “Be angry all you want, but no violence, alright?”

The two looked at each other with intensely vengeful eyes, growling as their anger had reached an absolute boiling point. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tainaka’s big forehead so red before. The two cooled down ever so slightly, simultaneously looking away from each other with a “Hmph!” as they crossed their arms. “Sheesh, how dramatic.” I said, feeling a drop of sweat crawl to the bottom of my cheek. “I’m too tired for this.” I said, leaning on the same couch I’d dropped Hirasawa onto. “Please, stop this, you two!” Mugi pleaded, her efforts being rewarded with an “Absolutely not!” from the both of them. Once again, in absolute sync. 

I sighed, “Just let ‘em be, Mugi.” The two exited the room with loud stomps, taking divergent paths in the house. Finding them is really gonna be a pain if we have any hope of wanting them to make up. “So, any ideas?” I asked Mugi, visually shocked at the fact that I bothered asking her what she thought. “H-Huh? Me?” She said, her stomach filled with butterflies. “Yeah, you’ve known them for longer, right? Have you got any ideas on why they might be like this?” I said that, but it was only half-truthful. Honestly, I was just too tired to think of any reasons myself, so I left the idea-making to Mugi.

Mugi put her finger to her mouth as she pondered. “Hmm, well…” Her eyes widened slightly, “Oh!” An idea, already? Sheesh, that was fast. Maybe we should leave her to solve all of the club’s problems from now on. “Well, there was that time on the day I joined their club. They were still missing the one person needed to make their club official, and I remember that they were kind of yelling at each other just like they were a second ago.” My eyebrow raised. “And how did they resolve that issue?” Mugi put her hands together, and smiled. “Well, Yui joined!” My head flung skyward and the almost laughably unhelpful revelation. ‘A’ugh, useless!’ I thought.

“Well, in any case…” I said, creaking my neck back downward. “I guess the best place to start would be to talk with them.” I stretched. “I’ll go look for Tainaka, you look for Akiyama.” Mugi excitedly fist pumped. “Alright!” She said affirmatively. “And I guess…” I looked down to Hirasawa, who was still totally zonked out. “...I guess Hirasawa can watch the couch.” I said, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck as I observed the still sleeping girl.

Mugi and I promptly split up, with myself taking the west wing of the house, and Mugi taking the right. “Huh.” I said, as I walked up the stairs of the great house, I came upon a realization. “I guess we don’t actually know who we’ll run into first. Whoops, I guess it can’t matter too much, though.” I made my way up to the house’s second floor, where the guest bedrooms and staff lodging was. “Hey, Akiyama! Tainaka!” I yelled, “Hellooo?” I sighed at the lack of response. “Guess we’ll have to do this the annoying way.” I said, looking at one of the many doors in just the one hallway I was in.

“Hey, Tainaka and or Akiyama, can you guys just make up already, please?” I said, turning the knob on a random door in the hallway, praying that it would actually yield me some results. I was, of course, not lucky enough to be greeted by that. Instead, I stumbled upon an entirely different scene. There were two butlers, the normally quiet and nigh-stoic men were instead singing their hearts out. “Koi nante tadamo gemu…!” One man sang, with actual tears streaming down his cheeks as he did so. He was singing into an old looking brush, which I guess he was pretending was a microphone. The other man sat in attendance of the one man concert, cheering him on as he sang his heart out, complete with glow sticks. “I’ll...just leave you to that.” I said, slowly closing the door, as my presence went completely ignored. 

“Well, that obviously wasn’t it.” I said with a tired exhale. “I don’t have the time nor the patience to check every room.” I said, lightly knocking against my cranium as if to force some ideas out of my brain. “If I were a betting boy, where would one of those two be hiding…” I took a seat on the floor next to a wall, crossing my arms and legs. I squinted as I wracked my brain about where the two could be hiding. “Let’s see...Akiyama’s kind of a bookworm, maybe she went reading? Does this place have a library? Nah, that can’t be, this place is big, but not that big. At least, I hope it’s not.” I got up, rubbing my rear. I wasn’t sitting for long, but it sure felt sore despite the fact that I wasn’t sitting for very long. Maybe I’m just thinking too much today.

In any case, I had what one might call a lead, or a clue. “She must be somewhere quiet.” I thought, placing my fist in my palm. Though that didn’t exactly tell me a whole lot, since most of the house was pretty quiet. But I did have one idea on where she might be. “If it’s just like that one time, then…” I said, my legs now in motion. I was prepared to scour the entire estate, somehow. I just needed somewhere to match the place I had in mind. 

I ran along the halls, up the stairs, down the stairs, until eventually I’d found what I was looking for. It was a single couch next to a window and a lamp. As I’d guessed she would be, Akiyama was sitting there, reading as if nothing of importance had happened earlier. Though unlike normal, she looked kind of detached from the book in her hand. “Hey there.” I said, casually approaching the girl. Akiyama looked up from her book, and her frown turned into a small smile as our eyes locked. “Oh, hi Leo. Taking a break?” I rubbed the back of my head. “I guess you could say that.” I pointed to the unoccupied end of the couch. “Mind if I have a seat here?” Akiyama twirled her hair lazily. “Go right ahead.”

‘Gotta be delicate about this.’ I thought, ‘Now that I’ve found her, I can’t afford to drive her away.’ Akiyama bobbed her head at me “Um, Leo?” My thoughts ceased momentarily. “Huh, what?” I asked. “Are you okay? You’ve got this weirdly serious look about you.” I shook my head at her words, trying to force myself to be natural. “Erm--! I’m fine. Really.” Akiyama raised an eyebrow at my suspicious acting, and shrugged as she returned back to her book with a neutral expression. “If you say so.” She said plainly.

“So…” I said, leaning in and checking out the book’s cover. “What’re you reading?” Her eyes widened a small bit at my inquiry, perhaps this is because this is the first time I’ve asked about such a thing. “Oh, it’s called Escape.” She held up the book’s cover, outstretching its covers so I could see the illustration on it. It featured a princess looking into a mirror, while her demeanor was that of your typical refined royalty, her reflection painted a different picture. Her reflection had her curled up on the ground, wallowing in her own pity. Perhaps out of some kind of inner sadness?

“It’s about a princess named Louise.” She said, putting her finger on the cover’s princess, identifying her as Louise. “Her story is about overcoming her own self-doubt as she struggles to find her calling in life. Whether she should follow her own passions, or fulfill her obligations as a princess.” This sounds like a kid’s story, one that seems to be all about following one’s own dreams with some cheesy lesson at the end. “Sounds...Nice.” I lied, not wanting to be rude. Akiyama chuckled. “Honestly, it’s a little mawkish, even for me.”

“So why are you still reading it, then?” I asked, puzzled as to why she’d subject herself to something that’s evidently rather mediocre. “Well…” She said, looking up at the ceiling as she compiled her own thoughts on the book. “It’s not because the story is good per se, but rather, I guess it’s kind of because I saw myself in it…” Akiyama said, her eyes filled with melancholy as she slowly and carefully traced the large letters on the front cover. “What do you mean…?” I asked, although I think I was happening upon an answer.

“About Louise...I suppose I just relate to her. You see, in the book, she buried her innermost desires. She felt there was no way her own desires could come to pass when her obligations towards her people came first. When I was younger, I always thought the same thing. I’d think ‘There’s no way I can put myself before others!’. Silly, right?” I folded my arms as I relaxed on the couch. “It is. But you’re not like that anymore, are you? What changed?”  
“In the story, Louise wouldn’t change until she met a prince from a neighboring kingdom.” She said, raising a finger. “At first, she thought that prince was just an irresponsible loudmouth.” Akiyama’s expression turned into one of familial annoyance. My mouth widened slightly as I understood exactly where this was going next. But I let her continue anyway. “But as she got to know that prince more, she began to understand him and his ideals. He was rambunctious, sure, but he was also outgoing and someone who chased after his own desires.” Akiyama clutched the book tightly as she continued. “Because he shared his courage with her, Louise was able to be more honest with herself.” I paused for a moment, the word ‘honest’ striking a chord within me. I giggled just a little bit at the revelation I happened upon.

“What’s so funny?” Asked Akiyama. “Nothing, it’s just--” I said, sitting straight. “We’re more alike than I thought, that’s all.” Akiyama looked at me, a little baffled. “Anyway…” She said, shaking off my seemingly random comment. “Because of the prince, she had her eyes opened to a world she never would have been able to see otherwise.” Akiyama looked down at the book’s cover, eyes filled with clear regret and remorse. “...Sure, the two still fought a lot, but they needed each other at the end of the day...Louise needed that prince to guide her, and that prince needed Louise to guide him.” Akiyama paused, as the obvious realization struck her. “I suppose, for me, that prince was…”

Bingo. “That prince was Tainaka, wasn’t it?” I said, shocking Akiyama as I’d pieced her puzzle together. The noirette said nothing, instead giving a solemn nod. “Akiyama…You know what you need to do, right?” She winced at what I told her. “I don’t know if I can…” I moved near the girl, taking her by her soft hands. The action startled her just a bit before she calmed back down. “Come on, you said it yourself! They may have fought, but they always made up because they still needed each other. I don’t know what it was that you two may have been arguing about, but I’m positive you can move past it.” I said, looking her in the eyes.

Akiyama took a deep inhale, before making a sharp exhale. “You’re right.” She said, letting go of my hands and rising to her feet. “I need to go find her. Do you know where she might have gone?” I stood up as well. “I sent Mugi to go and find her. Let’s head back to the living room, she’s probably already found her by now.” Akiyama nodded. “Alright, I’ll think of what to say while we’re on our way there.” As we walked down the hall, Akiyama would leave me with a question. “By the way, how did you know where to find me, Leo?” My eyes wandered towards the window as it was being relentlessly pelted with rain. “I thought about that time we met in the school library. You were sitting in a place almost exactly like that and you said something like “I wish I had a place like this at home, I would read here every day.” or something to that effect.”

Akiyama giggled, “Wow, I can’t believe you would remember such a minute detail.” I sheepishly guided my fingers through my hair as I averted Akiyama’s gaze, my face probably now beet red at this point. “Yeah, well…” I said, my voice trailing off. “Anyway, that’s not important right now. What’s important is that we meet with Tainaka and make sure you guys make up.” Akiyama placed her hands on her hips with a curious “Hmm…” I still wasn’t looking her in the eye, but something tells me she had a smug look about her. “Trying to change the subject, are we?” Ah, shouldn’t have underestimated the smart one of our group. “I-I’m just saying…” Akiyama shrugged, her voice becoming a slight bit more sympathetic. “Fine, fine. You’re right.”

We arrived back in the living room, the mood becoming a bit dimmer as the day was coming to its end. I took a knee and examined Hirasawa, who was still thoroughly knocked out. I pulled her cheek for a bit of fun, and was surprised at how much give her skin had. Hirasawa unconsciously swatted me away, her eyes still shut. “Out like a light.” I said, observing the girl who put up little resistance. I then heard rampant footsteps and sharp gasps for breath coming from the room’s southern entrance. I turned to find a frenzied Mugi, clearly troubled by something.

“We..We’ve got trouble!” Mugi yelled, gasping for air. “Mugi! What is it?!” I said, running over to her to help her up. “It-It’s Ritsu!” Akiyama ran over to us at the name, putting her hands on Mugi as her body was visibly quivering. “Ritsu?! Where is she?!” Mugi pointed to the window, her arm conspicuously wet. “She’s out there, she said she wanted some air and ran outside, but she hasn’t come back yet!” Our eyes widened as she expressed Tainaka’s heinous actions. “Ritsu!” Akiyama shrieked, immediately bolting for the house’s nearest exit. "Ah, shoot!" I said, moving my feet, readying to chase after Akiyama. "W-Wait!" Mugi stopped, raising her hands in concern. "Where are you going?!” 

I turned to the panicked Mugi, “Akiyama’s going to need some help to bring that idiot back inside! If we can’t talk her in here, then we might just have to drag her back in.” Mugi’s voice faltered for a moment as she spoke. “W-Well then what should I do…?!” I flagged her down as she looked fully prepared to jump into the thick of it. “Call for help. If things get too dicey out there, we might just need more assistance than I thought. Plus...With all that rain, one of us is bound to get sick or something.” Mugi let out a sigh to calm her nerves. “Okay...I’ll go get help. Just be careful, alright?” I gave a smile and a thumbs up to give Mugi the confidence she needed, and the confidence I wish I had.

I turned back around, now facing the door that Akiyama left out, and ran. My feet rhythmically hit the ground as I quickly navigated the house’s interior as I searched, turning like some kind of lost child desperately searching for a parent. I soon found a doorway leading out, one I’m sure was the one Akiyama exited based on the way the door was still swinging from its hinges. I took an inhale, bracing myself for the literal coming storm. Am I really about to do this? Well, now or never, I suppose.

I ran outside, now met with the sharp, frigid gales of the autumn storm. My eyes surveyed the immediate area. “Ah!” I said, noticing familiar black hair run on the beachside. “Akiyama!” I yelled, my voice drowned out by the intense winds. I recoiled against its harsh freezing. “God, this sucks. Why can’t my days with these girls ever be normal?” I took a reluctant step forward, fighting against the wind that fought against my goal. “Rrrragh!” I yelled, running against all better judgement as I chased down Akiyama.

My shoes would soon hit the now wet sand of the beach. Akiyama came to a stop as she was talking with a girl with short brown hair, hopefully Tainaka. I used this opportunity to finally catch up to her. We now stood between the piercing cold squall of the storm and the crashing waves in which the storm called upon. The backdrop was a little too perfect for our dramatic scene. It felt almost like a movie, but one I very much did not care to be in. “Akiyama!” I once again yelled, approaching two girls as they seemed. “You even brought him with you?!” The brunette stated, her familiar voice hitting an annoyed nerve with me.

Indeed, Tainaka and Akiyama were arguing just as they were earlier. The rain smattering our faces as they did so. “I don’t know what you guys were arguing about earlier…” I said, injecting myself into the conversation. “But can the yelling happen literally ANYWHERE else?!” I said, raising my hands outward as the storm grew more and more intense. “Why should you care anyway, Leo?! We’re not even friends like that!” Tainaka roared, a lightning bolt declaring her stance resolute. “Ritsu!” Akiyama said, feeling hurt at her words on my behalf. I feel like I would be more hurt if the only emotion I wasn’t feeling was utter annoyance at the girl. “Not even…” I paused, thinking of something to say that may convince her that she was full of it and she knew it. “I wouldn’t have even come on this stupid trip if you said you didn’t trust me, so what’s the deal now, Tainaka?!”

Tainaka’s eyes locked onto me as they became dejected,”I- I, uh…” She said, perhaps out of sorrow as she realized what was said to me. Her movements became slower and more thoughtful as she frowned. “Mio, why have you always gotta be like this…?” Akiyama looked at her, perplexed. “What do you mean?” Tainaka’s eyes averted Akiyama as she rubbed the back of her nape. “Always...sticking your neck out for me, y’know?” Akiyama stayed silent momentarily, before giving a modest smile. “Always asking stupid questions, aren’t you?” She said.

“We’ve fought an uncountable number of times. Why would now be any different? Plus…” Akiyama said, a slight blush appearing on her face. “...Wouldn’t you do the same for me?” Tainaka’s eyes looked into Akiyama’s with surprise, and then resolution. “...Yeah.” She said in a hush. “Yeah, I would!” She repeated, with more confidence. “Even if we do fight, so what?!” She smiled. “That’s just life! We’ll always be together, even as old ladies!” She said, putting her hands on her hips. “Ritsu!” Akiyama smiled, preparing to embrace her friend. “Mio!” Ritsu jumped, preparing to reciprocate.

The two hugged, they looked a bit like drowned cats with how utterly soaked we all were. I smiled as the two made up upon this dramatic backdrop, it really was pretty freakin’ movie-like. “Um…” The two looked at me, still in each other’s arms. “I don’t mean to ruin the mood, but can we save the hugs and kisses for after we’ve gotten back inside? I’d really prefer if one of us didn’t get sick.” The two looked at each other and blushed, before frantically letting go of each other. “Y-Yeah…” Said Akiyama. “Let’s get going, then…” Said Tainaka.

“Oh, and Leo…” Said Tainaka. “Huh?” I turned around to her. “Thanks.” She said with the sort of honest smile I wish she’d show me more. “I didn’t do anything.” I said, shrugging as I returned her smile. “Now, let’s get out of this storm…” I said, taking an end of my now deluged shirt and wringing some of the water out. “And hopefully get in a bath, and some fresh clothes…” The two laughed in agreement, and we were soon on our way back home.

We walked throughout the house, returning to the living room as a trail of water and wet sand proceeded behind us. We were greeted with a still panicked Mugi as she approached. “Oh, you’re all back! I was so worried!” Tainaka approached Mugi with an apologetic smile. “Sorry to bail on you like that, Mugi.” Tainaka outstretched her arms, with water flying off her body as she did so. “But y’see? We’re all fine.” I sighed, “Relatively speaking, anyway. By the way, did you call for help?” Mugi gave a thumbs up. “Oh yes, I sent all of my men out in search of you three! They’re searching the city top to bottom!” She said with an innocent smile. “Mugi, that’s…” Tainaka said, “A bit much…” Akiyama and I said, finishing her sentence.

I loosened my wet collar from around my neck. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go take a bath.” I said, taking my first step towards the room’s exit. “Oh, but wait a second,” I said, my head turning to Tainaka and Akiyama. “What did you two even argue about in the first place?” The two looked at each other with blank faces, and smiled as their thoughts came in sync. “Girls’ secret!” They said, smiling at me. I let them be, maybe it’s better that I don’t know anyhow. I let out a sigh, “Ah, you girls can be such a pain…” I said half-jokingly, exiting the room.

I remained in the bath for only a brief period, wanting to get to bed as soon as possible. Between the early-morning running and getting those two to be friends again, I sure had a long day. I dried myself off and came out with light clothing as I prepared to go to sleep, walking through the living room as I prepared to head to my guest room. “Oh.” I said, observing Hirasawa as she’d finally awoken from the couch I put her down on earlier. “Good morning.” I said jokingly to the still drowsy Hirasawa.

“Good morning, Le-Le…” She said with a yawn. “Mmm, good sleep…” She said, rubbing her eyes and sitting upright. “You sure seemed to enjoy it.” I said, taking a seat and leaning on the couch’s base. “Mm-hmm! That exercise from Mio was so intense, and Ritsu and Mugi somehow kept up the whole time!” I let out a laugh, “Yeah, it was pretty miserable for both of us, huh?” Hirasawa folded her arms, huffing. “Yeah! It’s like they’re secret cyborgs or something. No normal human could do that!” Hirasawa snapped a finger, happening upon a realization. “Oh, speaking of Mio and Ritsu! Guess what? They’re who I dreamt about!”

“Really?” I asked, looking up at the girl. “Uh-huh, they had this big fight and broke each other off for a while.” My eyebrow rose, I guess she missed less action than I thought, huh? “What else happened?” I asked, wanting more details. “Oh, well, me and Mugi tried to have them make up, but it wouldn’t work. We were totally lost on what to do, but eventually, someone showed up and was determined to have the two make up again!” I turned my eyes from Hirasawa as I cracked a stupid smile. ‘This is insane.’ I thought. ‘She really didn’t miss anything at all, huh?’   
“Then what happened?” I asked. “Oh, well, um. Ritsu ran outside into a storm, and Mio and that other person had to go out and get her! They convinced her to come back inside, and the day was saved thanks to that person!” My smile widened a little more. ‘I didn’t really do anything, though.’ Hirasawa tilted my head at my near-silent words. “Did you say something, Le-Le?” I turned to her, slightly panicked. “No, no! But, I do have a question. Was I there?” Hirasawa placed her fist on her chin, thinking long and hard about my question. “I don’t remember.” She said plainly. D’oh, and here I was hoping for something revelatory.

“I guess it doesn’t matter, though.” She said, lying back down as she looked at me with a smile. “Ritsu and Mio would never fight like that, right?” I thought momentarily about whether I should tell her about what happened today while she was asleep, coming to the conclusion that she wouldn’t really be better off knowing either way. “Right.” I said. “It was all just a dream, after all.” I would doze off not long after, my thoughts becoming progressively more scattered. But one thought rang with clarity as I drifted into sleep.

These girls are a handful, man…


	8. Knowing You: Yui

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the rest of the Light Music Club out of commission, Yui and Leo spend the free day they have growing closer to each other. Finally, Leo breaks down why he is the way he is.

Hi everyone, it’s Leo. It’s the early morning right now, and also our final day of Training Camp. Now that I think about it though, would it really even be right to call it that? This felt more like some kind of...bizarre vacation. The only real “training” we did was a single morning run. After that, it’s almost like fate kept intervening to keep us from doing any real work afterwards. I don’t mind that arrangement, but I am worried about how we might perform at the Winter Festival now.

“Ach-choo!” Tainaka sneezed with great force, wiping her nose with a tissue from the box placed next to her. “Leo, close the window already. It’s freezing in here…” My eyes rolled as I complied, shutting the window I’d opened only moments ago. “I’m pretty sure it’s only “freezing” because someone had to go and get sick.” Tainaka weakly raised herself from the bed she was lying in, her arms bound to collapse under her own weight at any moment. “And who’s fault is it that I’m sick…?” I shot her a smug smile as I recalled yesterday’s ‘drama’. “The person who decided it would be a good idea to stay out in a storm, that’s who.” I said as I sat in my chair, peeling the skin off of an apple. Tainaka gave a disagreeable groan as she lay back down in her bed, covering herself with her heavy blanket as she did so.

The door to Tainaka’s room opened with a quiet whine as the door slowly turned on its hinges. Mugi entered the room, holding some warm towels in her hands. “How’s she holding up?” Mugi asked. I put down the now completely peeled apple onto her bedside, and flung a thumb back to the sickly girl. “Ask her yourself.” Tainaka gave a dry yet faintly irritated cough as I’m sure she’d tried to give some witty comeback. “I-I see…” Mugi said, nervous laughter escaping her throat. 

I folded my arms as I’d sat upright in my chair. “Speaking of that, how’s Akiyama faring?” Mugi shook her head solemnly. “Not much better, I’m afraid…” I looked up at the slightly tattered ceiling. “I see...Guess we can forget about practice, then.” Tainaka groaned at my comment, “No complaining.” I said to her plainly, with her replying with a more rebellious groan than before. “In any case, what should we do now? We’ve got a whole day to kill here, and we can’t exactly practice with part of our team out of commission…” Mugi played with her hair as she leaned on the room’s baby blue walls. “That is quite a dilemma…”

“Why don’t you go ask Yui what she wants to do?” Mugi said, a smile appearing on her face as she stared at me. “Hirasawa? I guess killing time doing what she wants wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. Not like I’ve got anything better to do.” I’d got up from my seat, pushing the apple I’d peeled closer to Tainaka. “Do you mind watching her for me, Mugi?” Mugi gave a bow. “Leave it to me.” With that, I’d exited the room. I soon found Hirasawa wide awake in the house’s living room, the light from the window illuminating her.

At the sound of my footsteps, Hirasawa turned around and gave me the same absentminded smile she always would. “G’morning, Le-Le!” She said, greeting me. “Good morning.” I said, resting my elbow on the window sill, which had become a little hot by this point. My hand scraped the edges of a familiar pot as I did so. “Oh, Kusaki-kun.” I eyed the inside of the pot, a small bit of green had begun to poke out of the pot. My mouth went agape, slightly. “Wow, you’ve really been taking care of this little guy, huh?”

Hirasawa took a fervent and confident pose, her hands on her hips. “Of course! He’s my responsibility, after all!” I smiled at the girl. “I suppose I should say thanks for this, since I was the one who’d left you up to taking care of him.” Hirasawa gave a proud huff at my words. “No worries! I might not be good at a lot of things, but I can do this, at least.” I chuckled. “Yeah, thanks. Really, I do appreciate all this.” I said, allowing myself to play into the girl’s ego. “Oh, you’re much too kind.” Hirasawa said with a comically articulate tone. 

“Oh!” Hirasawa shouted, struck with sudden remembrance. “Are Mio and Ritsu gonna be okay?!” She said, her face filled with a child-like anguish as she clearly didn’t know didn’t understand the gravity of the situation, or the lack thereof. “They’ll be fine. Just some fevers, is all. They’ll be up and about by the time we leave tomorrow.” Hirasawa immediately settled down at my words. “Oh, okay. But wait, how are we gonna practice?” I shrugged at her question. “We won’t.” I leaned on the window sill next to Kusaki-kun. “I actually came here because Mugi wanted me to ask you what it was you wanted to do. Y’know, to kill time.”

“Me?” Hirasawa asked, shocked. “You.” I said simply. At that word, a smile suddenly cracked across her face. “Hmm! Hmm!” The excited girl repeatedly said to herself, she jogged in place with her hands on her hips. “I have an idea!” She pointed towards the window. I reared my head towards the window, to see her idea in question. “The beach?” I said. She gave me a chipper nod, “Mmm-hmm!” I folded my arms, turning back to her. “Yeah, I guess it would be a bit of a waste to leave here without having a bit of fun out there.” A day of old-fashioned relaxing on the beach does sound nice, especially after yesterday’s drama.

“I’ll go and tell Mugi about our plans. You wait here, alright?” I told her. “Aye-aye!” Hirasawa said, throwing her hand up in salute. I left the living room, strolling down the halls with my hands in my pocket. As I walked lackadaisical throughout the halls, I noticed how quiet it was. Not the sort of thing I’m used to these days, but I suppose it’s something I don’t need as much, either. I wonder why that is?

I arrived at Akiyama’s room this time, slowly opening the doorknob so I wouldn’t awake her, should she happen to be sleeping. She was indeed sleeping, quiet as a mouse in fact, quite the contrast from our other sick friend. Mugi said at her bedside, calmly but quietly reading a book. Mugi turned to me with a smile. “Oh, hello. So I assume you talked with Yui?” I quietly shut the door behind me as I slowly leaned on it. “Yep. She said she wants to hang out at the beach. I think that sounds pretty relaxing, so what about you?” Mugi covered her mouth with her palm. “Oh!” My head tilted slightly at the girl’s odd gesture. “Is something wrong?” I asked.

Mugi began to blush in a way that struck an oddly familiar chord with me, I wonder why? “I-It’s nothing…” I gave an eyebrow, but shrugged quickly thereafter. Mugi’s pretty honest, so I doubt she has anything to hide. “I-I just remembered, though...I can’t come with you.” My eyes widened a little at her sudden proclamation. “Wait, how come?” Mugi gave a flustered look, her eyes suspiciously dotted around the room, before finally settling on Akiyama. She pointed at the still sleeping girl, saying “U-Um...You see, somebody will have to make sure Ritsu and Mio are alright, yes?” I scratched my forehead, turning to Akiyama. “I guess so…? You sure you don’t need me to help, though?”

Mugi shook her head, her eyes still avoiding mine. “It’s fine, really. You...You were the one who got them back inside yesterday, so it’s only fair that I do my part now...” She said, waving her hands. I guess she did have a point, but I still felt a little guilty sticking her up to this. “Well, if you’re okay with this, then I guess I can’t say no.” I got up, readying to meet back up with Hirasawa. “Just tell me if you need me, okay?” Mugi gave a nod, and I left soon after.

“Hey, Hirasawa.” I called to her, walking into the living room. “Oh.” I said, surveying the room. “Wonder where she went?” I said, scratching the back of my neck. “Ah, Le-Le!” Hirasawa’s squeaky voice called from behind me. “Oh, there you are.” I said. I turned to her, asking “Where did you run off--G’ah!?”

I fell square on my behind, my face now reddened up as I got a good look at Hirasawa. “C-Cute…!” I realized what I said and immediately covered my mouth in embarrassment, not wanting to say anything that could possibly be more incriminating. “Isn’t it?!” Hirasawa said, twirling her hair, which she’d tied up. She was wearing the pink bikini she’d bought before the day of our trip began. The bikini was cute, and was a good fit for someone as bubbly as her. But the amount of her smooth and soft-to-the-touch skin she was showing felt indecent somehow. Why does this feel so wrong?!

“W-Why…” I looked away from her, keeping my eyes firmly shut so they wouldn’t wander back onto her. “Why are you wearing that?!” I heard Hirasawa move around, perhaps wondering what she did wrong. She didn’t really do anything wrong, and what I asked was a pretty stupid question anyway. “Um, have you never played at the beach before, Le-Le?” My eyes shot open at the question, with Hirasawa looking down at me with her usual innocent eyes. Recapping my life internally at that question, my eyes widened at her. “Er, I mean, no-- But wait, what’s that got to do with anything…?” She gave me a smile and yanked me by the arm. “Hi-Hira-- Wait a second…!”

Both her arms were wrapped around one of mine, creating a vice grip that I couldn’t get away from. That wasn’t the problem though, I’d gotten sort of used to being this close to Hirasawa since she always did stuff like this to everyone around her. But, feeling this amount of her soft, warm skin is honestly enough to drive anyone mad. “What are you doing…?” I asked, a whisper escaping my heavy exhales. “I’ll show you how fun the beach can be! Come on!” Hirasawa said, dragging me along by the arm. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t escape her grasp as I was dragged throughout the house as we searched for an exit. I don’t know whether this should be called bliss or misery.

Soon, we’d hit the hot sand of the beach, which we had all to ourselves. Hirasawa let go of my arm promptly, allowing me to finally exhale a sigh of relief, and calm down internally. Did she even understand the implications of what she was doing? “Sheesh, give me some time to mentally prepare before you do something like that…” Hirasawa giggled, before standing and taking an almost diplomatic pose in front of me, the ocean’s waves scratching at her feet. “Well then, Le-Le! Welcome to the beach! I’m your host, Yui Hirasawa!” I squinted at her in confusion. “Hirasawa, what are you--” I started, before she cut me off. “Today, I’ll be showing you all the wonders of the beach! So listen and listen good, okay?” I took a seat on the sand, looking up at her as if she were some kind of teacher giving me a lecture. “Uh, okay?”

Hirasawa then began to circle around me, explaining various things to me. I kept my eyes off her for the most part, but occasionally snuck peaks at her. This kind of reminds me of when we first met. “I’ll be your personal tour guide to the beach’s many wonders. Including, but not limited to: building sandcastles, watermelon eating, and swimming!” I scratched my leg, the sand irritating my skin ever so slightly. “Okay, that’s fine, I guess. But where should we start first?” Hirasawa stopped right in front of me, before falling to her hands and knees. She startled me, and my face became flushed at how close we were. “Sand castles, obviously!” What was so obvious about it?

Hirasawa then sat normally, a semi-comfortable distance forming between as a result. She looked down at the ground, and used her hands to slowly and carefully bring some mounds of sand together. “Whaddya know about sand castles, Le-Le?” I watched her hands as she softly patted the sides of the mound, evening it out. “Only the things I’ve seen on TV.” I said, drawing a box in the sand, with antennas sticking out of it. “You bring sand together.” I said, clamping my hands together, and moving them as if I were washing them. “And then you mold it into a shape of a castle, but I guess that’s kind of self-explanatory, huh?” I said, eyeing the girl as she sat content with her pile of sand.

The girl crossed her arms bodaciously, and gave a huff. “Ke-ke-ke! You only know the basics, my dear Le-Le!” Hirasawa threw a fist forward, then pointed her index finger up. “Not to worry, as you just so happen to be in the presence of a sandcastle building pro!” I gave her an unimpressed look, which she immediately caught on to. “Hey, what’s with that look?!” A small smirk formed on my face at her reaction, seeing Hirasawa angry is quite the rare sight. “Nothing, it’s just...how does someone even become a ‘pro’ at building sandcastles?” Her face mellowed out some. “Well, ever since I was a small kid, whenever my family went to the beach, my sister and I would always take the time to build ourselves our own little castle. We got better the more we did it, and now…” Hirasawa gave me a thumbs-up. “I’m practically the best there is at it!” I gave Hirasawa some sarcastic claps, which seemingly satisfied her boasting.

“So what else is there to it, Oh Wise Master?” Hirasawa smiled. “Well, I’m glad you asked!” Hirasawa pulled out a plastic bucket, filled with various tools meant for building sandcastles. I didn’t see her walk out of the house with it, so where did she-- On second thought, best not to ask questions. Hirasawa emptied the bucket, causing supplies such as a plastic shovel, a small plastic knife, a small cup, and some other things I couldn’t identify. Hirasawa then kneeled, scooping in some of the sand into the bucket. She then moved over to the waves, scooping in some of the saltwater.

She hustled back over to me, placing the strange concoction she’d made in front of me. “You...mixed water and sand? How come?” I said, observing the mixture for a possible clue. Hirasawa stuck a finger inside of the mixture, and brought it out in front of me. “Oh…!” I said, observing how the sand had hardened when mixed with water. “I see…” I said, taking a finger and dipping it in the mixture. It felt surprisingly soupy, kind of like wet cement. I took my finger out, and the sand hardened the second it was exposed to air. “...Cool…” I said, observing my finger intently. Hirasawa gave me a grin, before moving the bucket over to me. 

“Now…” She said, pushing the bucket up against my chest, prompting me to grab it. “Next, I’ll need you to pour some of this onto the mound I made earlier.” I put the bucket over the mound. “Easy enough.” I said, readying to flip it over. “Do it slowly, now.” She instructed. I tipped the bucket over, waiting for its contents to spill out. 

“Any day, now.” I said, growing impatient. Was this sand, or molasses? “Alright, y’know what?” I tipped the bucket ever so slightly, and with that, all of its contents spilled out like an erupting catheter bag. Making an unsatisfying and kind of gross sounding ‘squelch’ sound as it landed coldly and squarely onto the mound Hirasawa. “Ahhh!” Hirasawa yelled. “I said ‘slowly’!” I averted her presumably furious gaze, embarrassed at how quickly things went south for not heeding her instructions. “Well, so-rry! It was taking too long so I, uh...Sped things up…” Hirasawa gave me the same unimpressed look I’d given her prior. “Look where ‘speeding things up’ has gotten us…” I sighed, admitting my screw-up. “Yeah, yeah. My bad...So should we start over?” 

“Hmm…” Hirasawa closed one eye, with the other examining the strange mesh closely. It reminds me of how Mr. Sakurai takes care of his Bonsai Tree. She then picked up the plastic knife, cutting away at the mesh like some kind of sponge cake. “This’ll work, I think…” I crossed my arms, examining the girl as she continued to hack away at the grainy mesh. “How do you figure?” Hirasawa handed me my own plastic knife. “We can salvage this! We just gotta be fast about it, before it all dries up!” I held the knife up, ready to plunge into our disaster of a sandcastle. “O-Okay? What should I do?” I asked the girl. “Just follow my lead!” Hirasawa said, sharing a bit of her confidence with me.

“Now…” Hirasawa said, focusing on a specific target to hack at. “Let’s begin!” She yelled in a highly dramatic manner. “Alright!” We sliced away at the sand castle, which at this point was turning oddly grey. We started from the bottom-up, maybe to give it a stronger foundation? I wasn’t the expert here, so I just copied Hirasawa’s motions till we’d trimmed down the mesh into something that resembled the shape of a sand castle. Once we were finished, we pushed the cut pieces off to the side. Hirasawa wiped the sweat off her head, smiling from seemingly a job well-done. “Now…” Hirasawa said with a pant, picking up the small plastic shovel. “This next part will be easy, so leave it to me!” 

I lied back, letting Hirasawa take full charge. She went on all fours, carefully digging at the area near the castle and placing the sand from it in a separate pile. “Ah.” I said, as I’d realized what she’d been doing not long after she started. “A moat.” Hirasawa gave me a thumbs-up at the realization, before handing the bucket off to me. “Yup! And it’s not a moat without water!” I took the bucket and got up, promptly filling it with seawater. As I walked back to her and the castle, I got a wide-shot of what we were working on this whole time. “Hey, this is actually coming together pretty well.” I said, sitting down and handing the bucket back off to her. Hirasawa wordlessly smiled at my stray thought, which I saw fit to reciprocate, before she turned back to work. 

“Done!” Hirasawa would announce momentarily. I took a good look around the castle, an expertly dug ring-shaped ditch surrounded the castle. Yeah, that’s a moat alright. “I’ll let you do the honors, Le-Le.” She said, gesturing towards the bucket full of saltwater. “Really?!” I said, a childlike glee temporarily overtaking my voice like some kind of demon. I cleared my throat, trying to act coy. “I-I mean..Really?” Hirasawa nodded, telling me “Well, it is your first time, after all. Consider it a rite of passage.” 

I picked up the bucket, promptly emptying it into the once empty moat. Life filled the moat as the torrent streamed into it, giving both water and protection to its imaginary residents. My thoughts were filled with intrigue, thinking of various stories about the castle and it's make-believe history. “Pretty cool, huh?” Hirasawa asked, probably noticing that glint in my eye. “Y-Yeah…” I looked at the castle in full, despite the initial setbacks, it didn’t look half-bad. “So, what’s next?” I asked, wondering how we could adorn it further. “Hmm…” Hirasawa said, placing her index finger on her lip as she circled the castle a few times. “Nothing.” She shrugged. “Oh, alri-- Wait, nothing?” I asked, in a bit of disbelief. “Nothing else we can do.” She said, observing the now completely hardened sand. “At least, not without ruining the thing.” She sat on the ground next to me, causing me to shift my weight away from her. “Best not to get too ambitious on your first try, anyway.” I gave a sigh, agreeing. “Well, alright. What’s next on the agenda, then?”

Hirasawa gave me a smirk, before once again grabbing me by the arm and running me closer to the shore. “H-Hey, I told you I need mental preparation before--” My protests were met with a swift halt as I splashed spectacularly into the cool ocean before me. The burning sensation of saltwater shot up my nose, causing me to immediately rise up for air. I hacked and coughed up saltwater as I rose, wiping my eyes. “Koff! Koff!” I shook my head, drying myself off like a dog. “Ugh...what the hell was that for?!” Hirasawa pouted. “Aw, you were supposed to swim…” I raised an eyebrow at the girl’s off-the-wall comment. “Wha…?” The girl cutely jumped up and down, trying to rationalize her action. “Aw, come on! You know the old saying, a fish pushes the baby out of its nest so they can learn how to swim!” My jaw almost came loose at how wrong she got the quote. “Hirasawa, that’s for flying...And birds!”

I put my hands on the back of my head, declaring “And besides that, I already know how to swim!” The brunette comically began to tear up, as she normally would when faced with some pushback. “B-But...You said you’ve never played at the beach before!” I facepalmed, a wet slapping sound echoing as I did so. “Pools exist, Hirasawa.” The girl stopped all her movements, before making a sheepish smile while twiddling her fingers. “Oh...Oops, ehehe…” She said, her voice steeped in embarrassment. “Oh! Let’s have a race, then!” I brushed my feet across the grainy floor. "That's fine. If you're so eager to lose, then let's do it. Where should we race, Your Honor?" 

Hirasawa turned around to face the sea, surveying the never-ending blue with a pleasant hum. "There!" She said, pointing at a dark-grey spire that I'm surprised I didn't see sooner with how much it stuck out like a sore thumb. She turned her head to me. "Whoever passes that sharp rock first is the winner." She took a damp-looking stick that had been sitting on the shoreline and drew out a starting line in the sand. We took our positions behind the line, and took running stances. "On my count." I said to her. “Three…” My legs became straightened, looking at the goal dead ahead of me. “Two…” My hands dug into the gravel beneath me, sand spilling out between my fingers. “One…!” My face hardened, determined to win. “Go!” 

We immediately dashed off, ruining the starting line in the process and sand being kicked into the wind in our wake. Hirasawa kept pace with me quite well as we ran, though we were both not in the best shape anyway. If any of the other girls were here, they’d absolutely dust us on land. But that all changed once we hit the cool waters of the Pacific, where you could say I was in my element. I immediately took the freestyle stroke position, and rhythmically began swinging my arms forward, kicking my legs up and down repeatedly as I did so. The only opposition now were my lungs, which occasionally burned up due to a lack of air, forcing me to surface and slow down a little. Before I knew it, though. I was at the finish line, well ahead of Hirasawa, too.

Hirasawa reached the goal about half a minute after I did, splashing about like a cat who didn’t want to take a bath. She gasped for air, leaning up against the spire that served as our finish line as she did so. “Guess that’s my win.” I said plainly, admittedly wanting to bask in my victory more than I actually did. “Wow, Le-Le, you were so fast. On a different level, almost!” I could feel myself blushing at her genuine praise. “Well, I’ve got some experience in it, that’s all.” I said, slowly drifting along back to shore. “Teach me!” Hirasawa said, slowly bobbing up and down as the tides pushed us back to where we belonged. “H-Huh?” I said, confused at her sudden demand. She pushed herself closer to me. “It’s only fair! I taught you how to build sandcastles after all!” I scratched my hair with a finger, looking at the rock we just raced towards. “I mean, it’s not a problem...But why the sudden interest?”

Momentarily, the girl was lost in thought, that same hum returning to her. “Hmm…Just because!” I deadpanned at her declaration, “Just...because?” I asked, not believing I heard that right. “Mm-hm!” She said, her upbeat tone contrasting mine. “Tainaka was right, you are simple.” We returned to shore, and I grinded my heel up against the ground. “But if you’re serious, then fine, I’ll teach you how to be a better swimmer.” Hirasawa’s face beamed as much as the sun shining down upon us, for a brief moment, I was pretty happy I’d opted to help her. “Really?!” She asked, barely able to keep her composure as her upper body moved about while her feet were still glued to the floor. “Really.” I said. “Woohoo!” She said, running closer to the shoreline with her arms outstretched. 

“Well, first I guess I’d have to identify your problems when it comes to how you swim,” I said, walking closer to her on the shoreline. “Why don’t you try swimming back over to the rock we raced at earlier? Take your time and don’t try to rush things, I’ll just be watching this time.” Hirasawa gave me a salute, and an “Aye-aye!” before turning and jumping right into the water. Her form when it came to jumping was actually quite good, surprisingly. But it went downhill from there as I observed her further, getting second hand embarrassment as I watched her press on towards her goal, all with the grace of a falling sloth. It felt more like she was trying to run in the water than actually swim in it. “I can’t watch this…” I said, my words contradictory to my actions as my eyes stayed glued to the girl. In a weird way, I found her enigmatic movements kind of endearing.

Hirasawa came back to shore, a full smile on her face as if she were pleased with her performance. “How was that…?” I put a finger up. “You…” I thought of various ways to dig into her or criticize her for her less than stellar performance, but decided that being gentle would be the best way to go with someone like her. “...Have some things to work on…” I walked into the water, to a point where my entire upper body was submerged. I gave her a gesture to walk over to me, and she did so. Hirasawa stood in front of me, and I took her by the hands. “Ah, Le-Le…” Hirasawa said in a lax tone, looking down at our conjoined hands. “What is i-- Ah!” I said, whipping my hands away from hers. “S…” I stuttered, embarrassed at what I’d just done. My eyes went on and off the girl many times despite her unchanging smile. “Sorry.” I said with a small bow. Hirasawa giggled at my uncharacteristic antics. “For what? You have to hold my hands, right?”

“Y-Yeah…” I regained some of my lost composure, once again retaking her hands. My face lit up as I’d held them, they were quite a lot smaller than mine, and soft to the touch. I cleared my throat, desperately hoping my thoughts would return to the task at hand. “A-Anyway...First, we need to work on your form while swimming. Lay your whole body flat in the water, and keep your weight light so you can stay steady in the water.” I said, giving a visual demonstration with my hand, before returning it back to hers. After a bit of struggling in correcting her weight and body composition, she got the form I was looking for and was able to maintain it with ease. “Good.” I said to her. She gave me a grin, proud of a job well done on her end.

“Next, let's practice your strokes.” I looked over to the rock she’d swam to a few minutes ago, briefly going over her technique, or the utter lack of it, in my own head. “Do you know any strokes, Hirasawa?” The girl thought briefly about it, before answering with an oddly confident “Nope!” I sighed at her simple answer. “Figures…” I said, thinking about where to go from here. “Well, let’s just start simple and have you learn the ins-and-outs of the Freestyle, then.” Hirasawa’s head tilted, her hair getting wet as it gently collided with the water’s surface. “Was that what you used, Le-Le?” I nodded sagely. “Yeah, it’s probably the most common form of swimming out there. Now then…”

“First, we’ll start with your legwork. Lemme see how you kick, okay?” Hirasawa nodded, before proceeding to kick up water rapidly. Her legs moved about, but she evidently didn’t have much of an idea of what she was doing, as they moved all over the place and lacked any real rhythm. “Try and keep your legs evened out and straightened when you kick them. That way, you can propel yourself forward some more.” She did as I instructed, evening out her legs in a matter of moments. I’m beginning to wonder if she actually had a talent for being able to quickly pick up on things. “Next, try and get into a rhythm in how you kick your legs up and down. You’ll run out of stamina too quickly if you don’t pace yourself.” Hirasawa began to bounce her head back and forth to the sound of an internal beat, taking a moment to sync her feet kicking with her head movements. “You got it!” I said to her. “Teach me more!” She said eagerly. 

I finally let go of her hands, a little relieved that my slowly building tension released as I could do so. “Le-Le?” She asked, curious as to why I let go. “You’ll need to use your arms for this next part, alright?” Hirasawa stood upright, with another cheerful “Alright!” coming from her. “We’ll be practicing your arm strokes next. Now, just like with your kicks, you’ll want to pace yourself, and keep your arms mostly straightened out. Try swimming to that rock again, and then back to me.” Hirasawa gave me another salute, before running into the water with more confidence than before. She swam with much more grace than before, looking more like a cute dolphin than a drowning fish. She also swam in record time, making it back to me in less than half the time it took her before. 

Hirasawa’s head popped out of the water as she returned to me, gasping for air as she arose to the surface. “How was that?!” She asked me. I nodded approvingly, “Much better. You’ve got a real knack for swimming, you know. You just didn’t have the technique, at first.” Hirasawa playfully stuck her tongue out, bashful at my comment. “Ehehe, well, my grandmother told me that I have a real knack for picking up on new stuff.” I gave her my hand, she took it as she exited the water. “Well, I agree with your gran. That’s about all I can teach you for today.” Hirasawa grinned ear to ear at my comment. “Well, if that’s really everything, then…” She took a fighting stance, looking like a character on the cover of a video game. “I demand a rematch!” I crossed my arms, stating plainly. “Now hold on a sec, just because you learned a thing or two doesn’t mean you can suddenly beat me.” Hirasawa slung her head forward at my words, a hint of smugness etched across her face. “Oh? Sounds more like you just don’t want the student to surpass the master…” I took a deep breath and exhaled, then promptly matched her cocky energy. “Fine. I’ll humor you. But this won’t go how you think it will.”

We drew another starting line and stood behind it. “On my count, get ready.” I said, prompting us both to take running positions. “Three…” My feet grazed the sand as I was prepared to rocket off. “Two…” My knuckles shook with a victorious intent. “One…!” Eyes on the prize, Leo! “Go!” 

We shot off at the same time, keeping pace with each other. Hirasawa even mimicked the way I was running. We shot looks at each other, ones that said ‘I want to win, but you had better give it your all.’ Our eyes then laid back on the task at hand, the finish line from earlier. We hit the water, and I put my same technique into overdrive, exerting far more force than before. Fighting against the few tides that dared to stand between me and my goal with reckless abandon. Before I knew it, I’d hit the goal, and rose above the water. I wiped my eyes of saltwater, as I did so, I saw Hirasawa reach the goal not far behind me. I gave a smirk, though I was unsure of whether it was because I won, or because of how much she improved in such a short span of time.

“D’ah, I lost again…!” Hirasawa said as she splashed about in frustration. “I told you: it wasn’t gonna go the way you expected.” I said to her as we slowly made our way back to the shore. “Still…!” She said, making an adorable pout. “I got better, so why couldn’t I--” I cut off her rant, stating simply “You may have gathered some technique, but what you lack now is experience. Give it time. I’m sure you’ll be better than me sooner or later.” Her face beamed at my words. “You think so?!” She said as she began to walk onto shore. I smiled as I nodded wordlessly. “Hey! One more time?” She asked. I put up my hands in protest. “Mmm, no. I think we could both use a break from all that moving for today. Why don’t we do something else to pass the time?” At my words, fate was perhaps tempted, as Hirasawa’s stomach had grumbled right on time. “Well, I did say we’d have watermelon today.” She said with an apologetic smile.

“Where are we gonna get that, though?” A chuckle escaped Hirasawa as she looked at me with troublemaking eyes. “You just leave that to me.” She pointed at the ground, gesturing for me to sit. I did so, and she told me. “You just stay right there, I’ll be back in a minute, okay?” At those words, Hirasawa ran off to who knows where. “Um, alright?” I said to myself as I wanted for her. I didn’t have my watch on me, but I’m pretty sure at least ten minutes passed before she came back. “Hey!” She said, walking towards me with two sliced watermelons. 

She sat down, handing me one. It was quite a lot bigger than I expected it to be. “Where did you even get these?” I asked her. “Oh, I got them from the pantry back at Mugi’s summer house. I asked her if she wanted to tag along, but she said she really needed to stay behind to look after Ritsu and Mio.” I was a little dumbstruck that she ran all the way back there just for that. “You did all that just for watermelon? I guess I should say thanks.” Hirasawa smiled at me, sitting closer to me. For some reason though, I didn’t mind it all that much. “You’re welcome! Now let’s dig in!” She said.

Hirasawa immediately began scarfing down her food. I didn’t know where to begin, so I just followed her lead, biting into the soft red part of the watermelon. “Whoa…” I said, savoring the fruit’s flavor. The fruit’s sweetness danced on my tongue, and the juiciness of it let me savor it further. “This is really good.” I said, taking another bite out of it. Hirasawa observed me closely at my words, looking a little confused at my shock. “What is it?” I asked her with my mouth full, confused about why she looked at me the way she did. “Le-Le, have you never had watermelon before?” I swallowed. “Nah, never had stuff like this back home.” I explained briefly.

“Oh…” Hirasawa said, her voice suddenly slowed, less than happy at my words. “What’s wrong?” I asked her. “You said…’Home’. But you never like to talk about home.” A short gasp escaped my breath as she pointed that out. “Ah...I suppose I did.” I admitted. There was a short pause in time between us, neither of us said anything to each other and we’d stopped snacking on our watermelon for a time. “Um…” Hirasawa spoke, breaking the silence. “What was it like?” I slowly turned to her, a little concerned that she decided to press me on this. “What was what like?” I asked, playing dumb. “Your old home--your old life. You said you’d tell me what it was like one day, so…” 

Her big, innocent eyes drilled into me relentlessly. “Can you tell me now…?” I looked into her eyes once more, before turning away and looking down at my watermelon, which slowly swayed back and forth in my hands. I know Hirasawa wouldn’t think any less of me or that I’m some kind of freak for my past. That’s just not the kind of girl she is. But why does putting my past out there still scare me so much? I shook my head, my conflicting thoughts throwing me for a loop. “Sure.” I said softly, “I’ve...kept this bottled up for too long anyway…” I relaxed my body in spite of my internal tension, and stared at the sunset as it painted the ocean into a bright orange. 

“So, I come from London. But you already knew that…” I sighed, the simple recollection of my life before coming here being a source of tiredness. “My life in London was...messy. I was alone for a lot of my life, fending for myself, be it at school or at home.” Hirasawa folded her legs, looking to me with a neutral expression. “What about your parents?” I shook my head, my numb mouth making a dissatisfied hum as I recalled the history with my parents. “Well, my father died when I was little…” I said, getting a dramatic gasp from Hirasawa. “...As a result of that, my mother had a shutdown. She’s still alive but it's more like she’s...functional, rather than truly living.”

I picked up some sand, it quickly dispersed through my fingers. “She stopped paying attention to me after that, and I was forced to take care of myself most of the time. I never really got to have a normal childhood. I was always worried about things like whether I’d have enough to eat, or how I would get to school.” Hirasawa looked at me, her eyes filled with a sort of past-tense regret that told me she was sorry she ever asked. “...And that whole time, I was alone. I didn’t really have anyone to lean upon.” I took a hand, squeezing my cranium in order to keep my emotions from spilling over. “It all became too much for me to bear, so to distract myself from that, I started doing things like playing video games, and sports, and swimming and stuff…” I picked up a rock, throwing it with the anger I’d pent up just for talking about all of this. “...But it was never for the sake of ‘fun’, it was just to keep myself occupied, so I could believe my own lie that things were alright.”

My head slank up, facing the crimson sky. “They weren’t. No matter how much I wanted to delude myself into thinking that. They weren’t.” Hirasawa’s mouth was agape, as if she wanted to say simply but had difficulty parsing it. “I-I couldn’t imagine…” She said, her voice cracking. I sighed, “Yeah, I didn’t want to believe that I told myself anymore. But I couldn’t magically make things better for myself either.” I rocked my watermelon back and forth as I continued. “In fact, the only reason I’m even here right now is because of luck.” Hirasawa’s head tilted. “Luck? What do you mean?” I looked at her, saying “As it turns out, my grandfather; my father’s father, was friends with the headmaster of your school, Sakuragaoka. Because of his little ‘initiative’ in wanting to get the school to become Coed, and my grandfather pulling some strings for me, I found myself with an opportunity. Because of that, I’m here right now. I might have to go back someday, but for now, I just want to make the best of it.” I said, balling up my fist. “And, well…” I said, opening said fist. “I guess that’s everything.” 

“Uh, sorry…” Hirasawa awkwardly said. “Don’t be. I feel like there’s a weight off my shoulders now that I’ve told you that.” She looked as if she was unsure how to respond to my statement, but stumbled into some words soon after. “Um, Le-Le, do you hate your mom…?” My eyes widened at her sudden question. Honestly, I don’t know how to feel about my mother. She didn’t actively make my life worse, but her inaction was what made it so difficult in the first place. I know she went through a lot of things after dad passed away, but as a parent, boy, she was lousy. I let out a sigh, trailing off into a response to her question. “No, I don’t hate her. But, I just feel...disillusioned, that’s all.” 

Suddenly, Hirasawa clasped our hands together, and got a little too close for my liking. “Then…! One day, why don’t you two make up? It’s not impossible, is it?” My face hardened at her words. Honestly, I’d never even considered talking to her again, much less making up with her. But...Maybe my mother’s not the same person she used to be? Maybe she’s changed? Fat chance, but... “I’ll even be there with you!” She added suddenly, causing my face to soften back up. “What are you talking about…?” I said, chuckling at the girl’s outrageous proclamation. “I’m serious!” She said, insistently. “Alright, alright. If you really are serious, I’ll give it some thought. How’s that sound?” I told her, being rewarded with a smile that told me that she already came to her own conclusion. “Sounds good!” She said.

We sat back down, the mood becoming a bit cheerier than before thanks to Hirasawa’s strange plans. “Well, since we’re spilling our guts today…” I started, looking at the girl next to me as she was once again digging into her watermelon. “I’ve got a question for you, Hirasawa.” She chewed on her food, saying “Shoot.” with her mouth full. I took a deep breath, as this question had been on my mind since we’d become friends. “Be honest...When we first met, why were you afraid of me…?” Hirasawa’s chewing slowed, before she finally swallowed. She was completely silent for a moment, looking down at her finished watermelon.

“Well…” She said. “It’s because I’m afraid of change.” The answer made a surprising amount of sense when I thought it over. She hasn’t said it outright, but Hirasawa is very much the sort of person who enjoys the routine from what I know about her. She goes into each day with a certain set of expectations, so I suppose being fearful of something that may disrupt that way of living is only natural. “When I first saw you show up in class, I didn’t know what to think. I thought, ‘Oh man, he’s gonna do something crazy, isn’t he?!’, so whenever you were around, my eyes were glued to you.” Yep, I remember that part pretty well. 

“But then you had to go and join the Light Music Club, didn’t you?” She said, playfully punching my arm. “Because you did that, I was forced to deal with that change head on. Because of that, I realized, maybe this sort of change isn’t that bad…” I folded my legs, “If that’s the case...Why didn’t you just tell me?” Hirasawa nervously giggled, “I was afraid you’d get the wrong idea if I told you. But you seem to understand, so I guess I was just worried for nothing.” A small laugh escaped me. “Guess that makes two of us, huh?” Hirasawa rested her head on her hands. “Guess so!” She said in agreement.

“By the way, do you mind keeping all that stuff I said earlier to yourself, at least for now?” I requested. “Huuuh? How come?” Hirasawa asked, bewildered. “I...Don’t want the others to treat me any differently because of my past, is all.” Hirasawa smacked her teeth. “I’ll do it...But, you should try and have more faith in everyone else, okay?” 

“Huh?” I said, confused as she rose and stood before me. “Le-Le, you might not realize it, but…” Hirasawa's eyes shut, and opened with greater clarity. “You’re just as much a part of our club as the rest of us.” Her eyes, perhaps brightened by the light of the sun, completely illuminated me and shined a light on my own doubts. “The Light Music Club has five members right now.” She walked back and forth, counting the members off with her fingers. “Me. Mugi. Ritsu. Mio.” She stopped, sliding herself to me in a semi-cool manner, putting her finger on my chest. “And you, Le-Le.” I tried to argue against her, but there was no point in it when the right answer was plain to see. “Thanks, Hirasawa.” I said, getting up and facing the sunset with her. “Yeah.” She said, her voice a bit more emotional than I anticipated. 

“Hey!” A familiar voice called out to the two of us. We turned around, it was Mugi, waving at us from the street with a smile. Hirasawa and I exchanged looks, ones that said ‘Today is over. But it was fun while it lasted!’, before we both turned to Mugi and waved back. Thus, the sun had completely set on the Light Music Club’s first ever Training Camp. I can’t exactly say much training had gotten done, but I feel like we’re still closer as an overall unit despite that. Heck, this’ll probably make the Winter Festival a lot more interesting.

Whatever life may throw at me--at us, I think we’re ready for it.


	9. Cram Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the Winter Festival looming over the horizon, the Light Music Club is left scrambling as they frantically prepare for their upcoming performance.

What’s up? It’s Leo again. Finally, the Light Music Club and I are back in our clubroom where we belong. With the Winter Festival only two weeks away, we’re cramming hard to get as much practice in as possible before the big day. It really wouldn’t do for us to make a fool of ourselves’ in what’s effectively going to be our big debut, I don’t think the rest of the student body would let us live it down. But even in the midst of practicing, I’m beginning to wonder if that’s an inevitability that will come to pass no matter what we do.

“Leo…? Hey, Earth to Leo!” Tainaka’s voice rang, knocking me out of my inner monologuing. “...Huh? Yeah, what is it?” Tainaka pointed at my violin case, which was still unopened. “You wanna speed things up a bit? We gotta be prepared for the festival, y’know. The whole school ’ll be watching.” She pointed one of her two drumsticks at me, with a smile that absolutely screamed a confidence that we’d not only do well when the time came, but we’d be absolute showstoppers. That confidence shared an energy with me, prompting me to bury my worries for the time being and grab my things posthaste. “Right. Let’s do this.” I said, grabbing my bow and violin as I prepared to join the girls near the chalkboard, where they were neatly lined up.

As I prepared to walk over to them, I got a full view of them all as they were lined up with their instruments at the ready. For a second, they looked like a true band, despite the contrary being primarily true at this point in time. Heck, now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’d even seen them with their instruments. Tainaka’s drum set technically stayed in the clubroom, but this is the first time I saw her getting ready to actually play it. Her cool, tomboyish energy really made her seem like a regular Chad Smith or Travis Barker. Mugi stood behind her keyboard piano, poised and graceful. Her classy, yet still fun-loving image mixed perhaps a little too perfectly with the sort of elegant and refined instrument the piano was. 

Akiyama and Hirasawa both wielded bass guitars, but despite that, the two carried entirely different appeals just judging by how they held them. Akiyama’s guitar, which Hirasawa apparently named ‘Elizabeth’, was a darker, more mellow color scheme that I think really highlighted Akiyama’s more mature and calm nature. On top of that, her pose was similar to Mugi’s, one of sophistication and style, but one also very cute despite all that. To me, at least, it communicated that Akiyama was still quite the sensitive and easily flustered girl despite her disposition. Akiyama was technically the first friend I ever made at this school, and one I haven’t known for long at that, but even I can realize that much. 

Hirasawa, on the other hand, held her guitar like a complete newbie. Which, to my knowledge, is entirely accurate as her experience with it is next to nothing anyway. She held her guitar, which she apparently dubbed 'Gita' in a bout of a total lack of creativity. The guitar itself was your standard bass guitar with more vibrant yellows and reds that really bounced off the guitar's mahogany body. It, of course, complimented Hirasawa quite well. There was apparently an entire story that I wasn't around for involving the girls working their butts off to get her that very same guitar, which she apparently felt a sibling-like attachment to when she'd first seen it. I can understand why, the brighter, popping colors went together really well with Hirasawa's bubbly personality and can-do attitude.

I lightly rubbed my bow against my skull as I’d observed the four of them standing next to each other. They really did look like they belonged on the cover of an album with how well they’d coordinated themselves, like parts of a four-piece jigsaw puzzle. “You feeling okay, Leo?” Asked Akiyama, concerned as I stood in wordless observation. “Oh? Yeah, I’m fine.” I said, flagging down the girl’s worries. “It’s just…” I outstretched my arms, taking them in as a whole. “When I look at you guys standing together like that, you really do start to look like a real band.” Tainaka twirled both her drumsticks in a showy fashion, before pointing one at me. “Well, duh. That’s cuz we are one. We might not be big-names yet, but just wait and see, we’ll have our names on the map in no time at all.” Hirasawa gave a passionate smile. “You really think we look like a band, Le-Le?” I gave a nod, “Yeah, no doubt.” Mugi raised her hand, “Can I see?” I put my bow and violin down on the nearby seat, reaching for my bag. “Why don’t I just take a picture?” 

I took out my phone, sliding out its keypad and quickly typing in my password. Going to the camera app, I centered my camera on the girls. “Hey, Akiyama, Tainaka, scooch in a bit so I can get you all on shot.” I said, waving my hand inward. “Like this?” Akiyama said, her distance from Mugi shortening considerably. “Yui, is that a new hairpin?” Asked Tainaka, observing Hirasawa’s bangs while getting completely off topic. “Ah, thanks for noticing, Ritsu!” I could only give an awkward smile at their antics, they really were like peas in a pod. “Little closer.” I said, pinching my thumb and index finger together. The girls were practically smothering each other at this point. “Yui, your elbow is stabbing my ribs…!” Said Tainaka, who looked visibly pained. “Mugi, where are you touching?!” Said Akiyama, a blush appearing on her face. “S-sorry, I can’t see where my hands are…” Mugi said, apologizing bashfully. Where WAS she touching?

I gave a thumbs up. “That’s good, keep it like that.” Centering the girls in frame as best I could, I distorted my face into whatever stupid thing was on my mind, prompting the girls to laugh. At their laughter, I took a picture of them all together, a bright white light temporarily enveloping them. As the light faded, they were all back to normal. “Hey, give us a warning first!” Said Tainaka, evidently a little embarrassed. “Sorry.” I said, laughing. “Couldn’t help it.” Tainaka’s body stiffened, a soft “Whatever…” escaping her as she focused her attention off of my antics. As she said that, the rest of the girls nearly ran poor Tainaka over as they hustled over to me to get a good look at the picture I’d just taken. “Hey…! Watch where you guys are going for pete’s sake!” Tainaka roared, her outburst falling upon deaf ears as the other girls were too preoccupied with looking at my phone’s screen to pay her any mind.

A synchronous “Ooooh…!” came from the girls as they huddled around the small screen on my phone, observing themselves in the picture. It wasn’t much different from the seconds before I’d taken the picture, besides the girls having full smiles because I had them laugh the way they did. “We really do look like a real band…!” Said Mugi, the light of the phone screen rebounding off her big blue retinas. “You look so cool, Mio!” Said Hirasawa, her head rapidly turning from the phone to Akiyama, as if trying to process both the image and the real person all at once. “D-Do you think so…?” Said Akiyama, evidently flustered at the idea of being perceived as ‘cool’. “You bet!” Hirasawa confirmed, doubling down on her initial compliment.

“Lemme see! Lemme see!” Tainaka demanded, squeezing her hands between the girls and creating an opening by moving them aside, as one would a double-sided door. “Hey...We DO look pretty cool!” Tainaka said, snatching up my phone to examine the picture closer, to which I gave no protest or resistance despite all better judgement. “Heck, this could even be our first album cover!” Honestly, a fine idea if we had so much as a single song under our belt. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.” Akiyama said. “We’ve still got a long way to go before we get something like an album published.” Tainaka shot her fist skyward, her goal now clear. “Well, what are we waiting for, then?!” She tossed my phone back to me, which I caught and promptly zipped away in my bag. She then brought her hand down, pointing at the girls with a determined face. “Come on, everyone! That music ain’t gonna make itself!” Tainaka then repeated her motion once more, with all the others following her lead, and a resounding “Yeah!” echoing throughout the room and leaking into the halls of the school. Man, if there’s one thing Tainaka’s good at, it’s rallying people behind a cause.

We took our positions near the chalkboard, as we were about to begin a session, a lingering question exited my mouth. “Wait, what song are we performing at the festival?” I asked, unable to recall which one was the one we were going with out of the actual dozens that got rejected. Tainaka’s mouth went slightly agape at my question. “That’s easy! We’re performing…! Uhh...We’re performing...” Tainaka hummed, her thoughts seemingly flatlining. “Argh, maybe we got a little too crazy with the number of songs we thought up.” Tainaka said, lazily applying pressure to her drum pedal, creating an almost apathetic sounding beat in the process “My Love is a Stapler!” Hirasawa said enthusiastically, nearly causing me to gag. I didn’t tell anyone, but I secretly hated that name with a passion. It’s so sweet and saccharine that it’s enough to give a person diabetes at the sound of it. That name was as good a reminder as any that this was predominantly a girls’ band, and that I was the outlier here. “R...Right. Thanks, I got it now.”

“Right then, well, without further delay, let’s get started.” Said Akiyama. “Ritsu.” Akiyama looked to her, prompting Tainaka to nod as she understood her wordless instructions. 

Tainaka raised her arms in the air, her drumsticks in tow. “One! Two! Three! Four!” Tainaka said, rhythmically clanging her drumsticks together as she counted down. “One! Two! Three! Four!” She said, repeating the exact action to kick off the song. Immediately, Tainaka’s arms plummeted as her drumsticks collided with the drums, creating an awesome beat that reverberated throughout the room. As if on cue, Akiyama and Hirasawa immediately began to strum their guitars. For someone with no experience in it, Hirasawa sure was a total natural at it, but if our time at the beach was anything to go by, she’s got a proper knack for picking up on things she’s never done before. Mugi’s piano then joined in on the mix, and so did my violin, helping our guitarists reach a crescendo and adding extra flourishes to the melody.

“Nande nan daro”  
“Ki ni naru yoru kimi e no”  
“Kono omoi bin sen ni ne”

Akiyama’s absolutely heavenly singing voice filtered out any and all bad vibes from the room. I heard Akiyama had stage fright when it came to performing in front of other people, but maybe her just being around us helps ease her worries, and lets her sing in the way she knows she is fully capable of. Regardless, Akiyama put a lot of heart into reciting the lyrics, which made it easier to take in how undoubtedly mushy they were. But why do I feel as though something was missing, despite how impressive a show Akiyama was putting on? I gasped, nearly messing up and losing concentration on my playing. ‘Damn it, Hirasawa…’ I thought, my initially determined face now turning into one of worry. ‘You missed your vocal cue…!’ Despite Hirasawa’s misstep, we all still played along, with Akiyama filling in for her friend’s missing part, our song lacking a proper backup vocalist as a result of this.

The song was still good, but it undoubtedly felt a tad more empty, and made crescendos harder to reach without Hirasawa’s voice backing us all up. We picked up the slack as best we could, but ultimately, there was only so much our combined efforts could do. As the song began to peter out as it drew to a close, the sound of soft whimpering would soon take its place. The source of the sound was none other than Hirasawa, clearly upset how she messed up. She must care about this more than I thought, I guess? As her whimpering soon turned to the comic sort of crying she’d often do over the smallest things, the rest of the gang came to console her so she would calm down. “I-I messed up again...What’s wrong with me…?” Hirasawa asked herself, already curling up into a ball of unfiltered sadness. “D-Don’t worry, Yui. We’ve still got two more weeks before the big show. I’m sure you’ll get it right before then!” Akiyama said, comforting her as a mother would a frustrated child.

“She’s right, we’ve still got time!” Said Tainaka, wearing a worrisome smile with sweat slowly trickling down her face in a desperate bid to cheer the girl up. “Why don’t we do some exercises or something to help you remember when we’re playing?” Mugi nodded at Tainaka’s suggestion, not wanting to set another fuse in Hirasawa off. “Good idea!” Mugi said in agreement. “Come on, Yui!” Hirasawa quickly shook her head, her typically pristine hair becoming ruffled in the process. “E-Exercises?!” She said, fleeing to a corner in our small clubroom. “Y-Yui, we have to practice, you know!” Said Akiyama, approaching her slowly. “I don’t think this is getting us anywhere, guys.” I said, slowly approaching Hirasawa, who looked like a scared dog. “Let’s take it slowly, okay?” I reached my hand out to Hirasawa, who looked at it as if she were considering every possible outcome of if she were to take it. Eventually, she swallowed, before slowly reaching her hand to me.

As our fingertips scraped, the clubroom’s door clattered open. “Hey, everyone. Just checking in to see how it’s going.” Hirasawa gave a squeaky squeal at the familiar voice, immediately getting up from off the floor and dashing towards our guest. A familiar head adorned with red glasses peeked through the large crevice in the door. “Nodoka!” Hirasawa said, dashing to hug her friend, which Nodoka was happy to reciprocate as she outstretched her arms to receive her gift hug. Hirasawa leaped off the ground, wrapping her arms around her friend as she landed on her like a pillow to a bed. The two spun around for a bit, looking like Jack and Rose for a moment, before Nodoka placed her elated friend on the ground. “Yui, we just saw each other at the end of class today!” Nodoka said with a laugh. “I know, but you’re always so busy that we never get to play after school!” Said Hirasawa, with a playful pout. 

“Well, you know how busy Student Council work can get. Never a dull moment with them.” As Nodoka’s words filled the room, a gasp and the bang of a foot hitting the floor would soon replace her sound. “You’re…” Tainaka’s voice started low, ending in a high pitch as she realized something significant about what Nodoka had just said. “You’re part of the student council?!” Tainaka yelled, running up to the bespectacled girl and grabbing her by the shoulders. Despite Tainaka practically shaking her like some kind of madman, Nodoka kept a strangely calm demeanor. “Yes, can I help you with something?” Nodoka said, like some kind of serene restaurant cashier during lunch hour. “Ritsu, stop shaking her, please.” Akiyama said, putting a hand on Tainaka’s shoulder that evidently put some chill up her spine. Ritsu complied, not wanting to incur the wrath of Akiyama any further. “S-Sorry...Really.”

“Really, it’s fine.” Nodoka said, readjusting her glasses that had nearly fallen off her because of the shaking. I guess it’s part of the Student Council’s job description to be cool under fire. “What’s so interesting about my position? Have you got something you wanted to ask me?” Tainaka nodded, looking like the bobble-head we’d conspicuously kept on top of the shelf in our clubroom. “Yeah, I was wondering if it were possible for our band, er-- our club, to perform at the Winter Festival. Y’know, for the school and stuff.” Something about what she just said didn’t sit right with me, but then it clicked. “Wait, Ritsu, you mean we weren’t already registered?!” Said Akiyama, completing my thoughts. As I restrained Akiyama, who at this point was already yelling, by the arms as she was about to lay into Tainaka both verbally and very physically, I myself had some choice words for our band’s ‘leader’. “What the hell, Tainaka? What have we even been practicing for this whole time, then?” Tainaka had a weary smile on her face, not wanting to own up to her own irresponsibility. “W-Well, I just figured we should focus on other things...Besides…” She said, turning from us, back to Nodoka as she looked at her with puppy dog eyes. “It’s not a problem, right…?”

“Hmm…” Nodoka said, putting her hand to her chin as her brain processed an appropriate course of action. “Why don’t you all set out some tea? I’ll be right back, okay?” She said, giving a thumbs up before exiting the clubroom and closing the door behind her. “An excellent idea!” Mugi said, clapping her hands together. “Everyone, please take a load off, okay?” She said, directing us towards the room’s table like a waitress. “Back to what we normally do, then? Say no more.” I said as I pulled out my chair to take a seat, feeling slightly more tired than normal. As we all took our seats, our eyes were too busy lying on Tainaka for her tomfoolery. Except for Mugi, who was too preoccupied bringing out the tea and snacks to pay her any mind. Heck, even the usually absentminded Hirasawa was gobsmacked at her lack of planning.

“Jeez, Ritsu, can you be a little careful from now on?” Hirasawa said patronizingly. “You’re the last person I wanna hear that from!” Tainaka retaliated, baring her fangs at her. “No, Yui’s right, for once.” Said Akiyama, the ‘for once’ visibly hurting Hirasawa’s feelings a tad bit. “Even by your metrics, that was completely irresponsible, Ritsu.” Akiyama said, rigidly folding her arms as she tried to keep her own very visible rage in check. In a way, the way she was acting was actually scarier to me. A bomb exploding is less worrisome than not knowing when a bomb might explode, after all. “Okay, okay!” Tainaka said, putting up a shield with her hands to protect both her face and whatever remains of her dignity. “I get it! I get it! I messed up real bad! Bright side, we’ve probably got nothing to worry about...probably.”

“Saying ‘probably’ twice in the same sentence isn’t exactly filling me with confidence…” I said, Mugi filling my teacup as I ended my own sentence. “Thanks.” I said to her, being rewarded with a smile from her for my gratitude. As I gently lifted the teacup and watched its contents splash about the walls, something struck me as peculier. “Hey, this isn’t the cup that I normally drink from.” I said. As I examined it more closely, I noticed the cup was covered in black and white, featuring an animal with small, beady eyes. Quite different from the usual cup that I drank from, a basic marble white cup with a chipped edge. “A panda?” Mugi sat a plate of various foodstuffs onto the table, which the others were quick to indulge in, before taking a seat of her own. “That’s right. Isn’t it cute?” I gave the cup a quick spin to take in its design once more before setting it down on the table. “Yeah, thanks.”

“Now you’re just like the rest of us.” Mugi sheepishly smiled, holding a tray in an attempt to cover up her mushy expression. “How do you figure…?” I asked in confusion. “Look here.” She said, holding up her own teacup. I squinted at the girl’s cup, hers was grey and pink, and featured something with large black eyes and a long trunk. “Oh, an elephant.” I said, pointing at her. “Mm-hmm!” She sang. I looked around at the other girls in the room, who were too busy chatting away at various topics I couldn’t hope to understand the context of. In Tainaka’s hand, she held a cup styled after an orange tabby cat. In Akiyama’s hand, she held a cup styled after a Shiba Inu, it looked like the dog Hirasawa had us all pet that one time. Speaking of her, she held a cup fittingly styled after a sloth. “Don’t you think that’s a little on the nose?” I said, pointing to Hirasawa’s cup as my head shifted towards Mugi. “What do you mean?” She said, completely oblivious as to what I meant. “Right, you’re too innocent for that.” I said, remembering that Mugi is almost entirely incapable of doing something with ill intent. I look back to the girls as they continue their chat about who knows what.

As Hirasawa’s eyes suddenly began to wander for a new talking point, they locked onto me as I took a sip of warm tea from my new cup. “Oyo…?” She said, observing me like a curious cat. “What?” I asked as the girl eyed me further, causing me light embarrassment as they all shifted their focus to me. “Le-Le...That teacup…” I raised an eyebrow, she was quite quick to notice a shift in such an innocuous detail. “Yeah, what about it?” She pointed a finger at me, her expression entirely. “It, like, really doesn’t fit you.” The warm, sugary drink nearly escaped my mouth at her surprisingly cruel, albeit still true words. “Don’t you think that was just a little harsh, Yui…?” Akiyama said, equally dumbfounded by her airheaded friend’s comment. “You think so?” Hirasawa said, confused as to why her dagger-like words may stab into someone’s self-esteem. Mugi pouted, the seemingly poor reception of her gift to me being received poorly. “Ah, don’t worry about her, Mugi.” Said Ritsu, comforting her friend.

“But why a panda?” Hirasawa asked, carelessly walking through a minefield of Mugi’s emotions. “Pandas are cute, Le-Le’s…” She continued. “You sure you want to finish that thought?” I asked, the tone in my voice unconsciously becoming more aggressive. “Le-Le’s…” She said, her voice cracking under the apparent pressure of the danger she now understood she was in. “...Cool. Le-Le’s cool, not cute like the rest of us.” My mouth widened, before shutting promptly. Not really something I could argue against. I don’t fancy myself to be a ‘cute’ person, but ‘cool’ sounds fine, I suppose. “Fair.” I said simply. Tainaka looked at Hirasawa, then back to me, as if to confirm the latter’s statement. “Yeah, I can see it.” Akiyama looked at my cup, squinting at it briefly. “So then why a...panda?” She asked. “Oh, well...I just thought since we all have animals, then Leo should get one too. That’s all.”

“Hmm…” Tainaka sagely hummed, resting her head on the table. “Maybe the panda’s some kind of metaphor…” Akiyama and I both deadpanned at her odd statement, meanwhile Mugi and Hirasawa looked quite curious as to what she meant by that. “Like, maybe the blacks and whites are like, how Leo's origins are split between Japan and London." Hirasawa and Mugi gave an impressed “Oooooh…” at her incredibly simple-minded observation. “I really doubt that’s what it means…” Said Akiyama, munching on one of the assorted cookies. “For real…” I said, leaning back in my chair whilst I had a staring contest with the teacup in question, briefly pondering whether its deeper meaning had any backing. “Nah…” I concluded. Meanwhile, Hirasawa and Mugi looked at me for a while. They clapped their hands together, pointing at me. “Panda-san!” They said in perfect unison, causing me to nearly choke on my own embarrassment. “Please, don’t ever call me that again.” I said firmly, whilst Tainaka was cackling and Akiyama could barely keep in her own laughter.

As their laughter continued, the clubroom door opened. “Look, something else! Let’s focus on that instead, okay?” I asked, wanting to bring the embarrassment to a swift halt. “Uh…” Said Nodoka, closing the door behind her. “What were you all talking about…?” Hirasawa got up, ready to speak on my behalf. I swiftly covered her mouth before she could speak whatever it was she was about to speak. “Nothing important. Have a seat, okay?” Nodoka stood silently for a moment, perhaps she was weighing whether she should press me on the matter, before saying “Alright…” and dropping the topic entirely. Nodoka approached the desk, sitting at the empty seat beside me, and putting the folder she’d been carrying at the center of the desk, grabbing our club’s attention like moths to a flame. Mugi poured Nodoka some tea as she did so.

Nodoka opened the folder, pulling out two sheets. One was a schedule, and the other looked like a map of some kind. “I did some digging, and it seems you all are in luck.” Nodoka said, a sigh of relief escaping our group. Tainaka seemed especially eased, as her recklessness proved to be less severe than she’d perhaps anticipated. “We’ve got just two more slots open, so I’ll let you pick which you want.” Nodoka pointed near the top of the schedule paper, an empty slot between the top most slot and third slot. “We’ve got about 35 minutes of downtime between the 8AM show and the 9:30AM show. We could fit you there, if that works.” As if at the drop of the hat, Hirasawa groaned, and all of us immediately caught onto why. “I’m...not exactly a morning person…” She said, laying her head down on the desk, scanning the paper for any other open slots. “Believe me, Yui, we all know that by now.” Nodoka said truthfully. Tainaka leaned back in her chair, eyeing Nodoka as she did so. “The morning won’t exactly work for me, either. Do we have anything in the middle of the day, maybe? We want to make sure we get the biggest crowd possible.” Tainaka asked.

“We do…” Nodoka said, causing a smile to form on Tainaka’s face. “But there’s a catch…” Nodoka continued, erasing Tainaka’s newfound smile in the process. “...What’s the catch?” Asked Akiyama. Nodoka nodded, spreading out the map-like paper overtop of the schedule, once again bringing our attention to the center of the table. “It’s a map of the school?” Asked Mugi. “Right.” Said Nodoka. Nodoka slid her finger to roughly the center-right part of the paper, on top of a large square. “This is where the school’s auditorium is located, and where most of the performances will be held. This is where you would play if you were to pick the morning slot.” Tainaka hummed at Nodoka’s information, perhaps weighing her options. “Where would we play if we were to pick the midday slot?” She asked, wanting to fill in the missing gap in information. 

“Well…” Nodoka said, sliding her finger all the way to the other side of the area, landing on a lone, small square, but it wasn’t a building. “Oh…!” I said, recognizing where she placed her finger. It was a small clearing past the courtyard lined with benches. Students rarely gathered there, so I often went there to get some quiet during lunch. “You recognize this place, Katnua?” Asked Nodoka. “Yeah, I go there for peace and quiet every now and again.” I responded. “...Cuz’ he’s a loner outside of us.” Tainaka teasingly whispered, gaining a laugh from Hirasawa and Mugi. “Shut up.” I groaned, having neither the patience nor the wit to come up with a decent retort. “Anyway, how are we gonna perform there, anyway? There’s no stage out there, or anything.” I said, further recalling the surrounding area being nothing but a flat, simple cobblestone ground with the benches covered in shade. “Ah, a stage is being built there as we speak.” Said Nodoka, “Construction should be finished by the day of the festival. The stage is rather modest, but it’s better than nothing.”

“So, either a big stage in the morning or a small stage in the afternoon, huh?” Said Akiyama, putting out our options so we all could ponder them. “I’ll go with the small stage if it means I don’t have to wake up in the morning.” Hirasawa said, her lazy self coming to life temporarily. “No way!” Tainaka interjected. “Go big or go home!” Tainaka declared. At her words, Hirasawa rocketed up from her chair, startling all of us. “Small!” She said affirmatively. Tainaka followed Hirasawa’s actions in kind, leaving her chair with what looked like even greater force. “Big!” She said, their heads now right next to each other. The back and forth went on for a bit, Mugi watched in worry and Akiyama watched in annoyance. I let out a sigh, not really caring that much. Akiyama eventually slammed her hand on the table, the echo clearing all other sounds out the room and putting a stop to the shenanigans of the brunettes. “That’s enough! We’ll put it to a vote.” Akiyama said, turning to Nodoka. “Is that alright?” Nodoka gave her the same smile she’d strangely kept up throughout that entire ordeal. I’d swear she was a robot, but robots aren’t cute, generally speaking. “Sure, that’s totally fine.” She said with a wave. “Alright then.” Akiyama said, turning to the four of us.

“We’ll decide between the five of us. We’ve got one vote for the small stage, and one for big.” Akiyama put her hand on her chest, her face becoming less stern and a little more abashed. “Personally, I would actually rather we play on the big stage.” The four of us gasped at Akiyama’s declaration. “Mio, that doesn’t sound like you at all!” Said Ritsu, who nearly fell out of her seat. “Yeah, no kidding.” I said. “What happened to your stage fright?” Hirasawa nodded, “Yeah, you shake like crazy just because we talk about being on stage! How does a bigger crowd help?” Akiyama looked away from us, rubbing her neck with that still sheepish demeanor about her. “It’s true that I’m still quite terrified of being on the big stage...But that’s exactly why I need to do this.” She turned to us, her expression growing fiercer, masking her still visible anxiety somewhat. She punched forward. “If I don’t do this now, I’ll just drag our whole group down!” We had a varying range of reactions on our faces, though we mostly seemed proud of her drive to overcome her fears. “Seems legit.” I said, resting my elbow on the table.

“What about you, Leo?” Asked Akiyama as she sat back down. I didn’t care that much either way, but if I had to pick one… “Let’s go with the smaller stage.” I said, my answer being rewarded with a victorious fist clench and a “Yes!” from Hirasawa. “Lame!” Tainaka said with a grimace. “Let’s just hear him out, okay?” Said Akiyama, holding back Tainaka who looked ready to verbally dig into me. “I mean, we’re still green when it comes to this whole ‘being a band’ thing. I just think if we should start somewhere, it should be small.” Hirasawa raised her fist into the air, shaking it about. “What he said!” She said, obviously not caring about the substance of my words and being more concerned with getting all the z’s she needed. “So if we happen to mess up, damage to our rep would be minimalized.” I said. Tainaka seemed unmoved by my words, but Akiyama perhaps felt a bit more at ease at the idea of being onstage. Nevertheless, her stance did not waver onto our side. “That is compelling…” Akiyama said softly. “But...I guess we’ll have to leave this decision to Mugi.” 

“Eh?” Mugi said, her body jolting slightly at the sight of all of us laying our eyes on her. “I-I, uh…” She stammered, avoiding eye contact with the rest of us as she briefly gave the question some thought. “I wanna go on the big stage too!” She yelled before long, covering her face in embarrassment. “Mugi, why?” Hirasawa whined, her friend consigning her to the fate of the early morning sun. “Glad you see it our way.” Said Tainaka with a boisterous grin. “That’s good, but why is that, Mugi?” Asked Akiyama. “Well…” Mugi said, a small smile trickling across her face as it slowly reddened. She held her hands against her cheeks. “I just think the idea of our first performance being performed on a stage in front of a lot of people is...romantic.” Tainaka tilted her head at Mugi’s admittedly odd words. “Ro..mantic…?” Mugi nodded, a little less embarrassed than before. “Just thinking of the roars of the adoring crowd in front of us is...exciting.” Mugi said. The way she put emphasis on ‘exciting’ had me question certain...things about her.

“Well, that settles it then.” Said Akiyama. “Woohoo! Big stage, here we come!” Tainaka, clanging her imaginary drumsticks in the air. “It is what it is, I guess.” I let out lazily, still not really caring either or. Hirasawa on the other hand was quite devastated, “I’ll have to set at least three alarms…” She cried. “Yeah…” I said, an unfortunate thought coming to my mind. “What’ll we do if Hirasawa doesn’t wake up on time?” The expressions on everyone but Mugi darkened at the idea. “I would really rather not think about that…” Said Tainaka, holding her stomach as it probably churned at that thought. “But it’s a possibility we can’t ignore.” Said Akiyama, holding one arm with the other as she began to sweat at the notion. The idea of our efforts being brushed aside because someone with a history of waking up late screwed us over was not one I wanted to entertain, but despite that, the possibility was very real and very high, too. “I have an idea!” Mugi said, pointing a finger upwards.

“Let’s have a sleepover!” Mugi suggested, with varying degrees of “Oooh…!” spilling out from the girls. “If we’re all with Yui on the morning of the festival, then we can make sure she gets there on time. Plus, we can work on anything we might need to on the night before!” Tainaka and Akiyama both gave it brief thought, before deciding that it was a good idea. “That okay with you, Yui? Do you think your parents would be okay with that?” Asked Tainaka, prompting Hirasawa to nod. “Oh, of course! My parents love having guests over!” She said excitedly. “Then it’s decided. We’ll all meet up at Yui’s place the night before the festival.” Said Akiyama. “Er...pass.” I said, my welling thoughts spilling over into words. “You guys have fun with that, but I’m gonna sit that one out.” Hirasawa looked shocked, though the other girls looked kind of confused. “Eh?! Le-Le, you’re not coming…?” 

“I guess that makes sense.” Said Tainaka, refilling her teacup. “I trust you’ll wake up early, then?” Asked Akiyama. “Sure. That won’t be a problem.” I said. “But, but, why can’t you come, Le-Le? You came with us to Training Camp, didn’t you?” Hirasawa bargained in vain. “That was different. What would your family say if you brought a boy home and told them he was spending the night?” Hirasawa gasped, her face blushing. I guess the implications weren’t lost on her despite how generally airheaded she was. “A-Ah, right...But still, it won’t be as much fun without all of us there…” She said with an adorable pout that I found difficulty denying. Still, I had to maintain at least some of my dignity. “Look, I’ll make it up to you on the day of the festival, okay? We can have our share of fun then.” Hirasawa gave me a smile, with an affectionate “Yay!” as she threw up a peace sign. The rest of the girls shared a look between each other, sharing thoughts that I found myself unable to parse, though Nodoka held a particularly catty smile. I wonder why?

“Well then, that settles that.” Said Nodoka. “I’ll just need you and your advisor to sign a form and we’ll be all set.” Akiyama handed Tainaka a pen, who stared down excitingly at the form Nodoka laid out before her. “Sure, sure! But, one question…” Said Tainaka. “What’s up?” Nodoka inquired. “...What’s an advisor?” Tainaka asked. “Huh?” Said Nodoka, simply. Her voice perplexed. “Huh?” Replied Tainaka, matching your confusion. “Hey, wait a second...Has your club been running without an advisor this entire time?” She said, surveying our clubroom. “Is...Is that bad?” Asked Tainaka, though the answer to that question should have been obvious considering how Nodoka was reacting. “Yes, it’s quite bad! Without a teacher to advise you, I can’t acknowledge you as an official club!”

“That’s bad!” Tainaka said, reeling back in her chair. “Wait, we’re not an official club?” I asked, wondering what the difference between an official and unofficial club was. “Are we...even allowed to be in here, then?” I added, surveying the room and examining the various ways in which it was personalized to our tastes. “That shouldn’t be a problem.” Said Akiyama, “I think.” She added, her confidence quickly dwindling in the process. “It’s not, clubroom space is of no concern to our school.” Nodoka said, adjusting her glasses with a stern look. “But still, if you want your club to be acknowledged and to join the Winter Festival, you’ll have to find an advisor by the end of the day. Understand?” Akiyama and Tainaka sighed as our job suddenly became much more difficult. “Yes, ma’am.” They said. Nodoka got up from her seat afterwards, collecting her things as she did so. “Good, then I’ll be taking my leave. Once you find someone, come meet me in the Student Council Room, alright?” She then walked towards the door and opened it, “Ciao!” She waved, finally exiting the premises. 

“Just great…” Tainaka complained. “How are we supposed to find someone by the end of the day?” She asked, not a clue about what to do on her own. “Why don’t we ask our homeroom teacher? Ms. Arakashi would surely help us, wouldn’t she?” I crossed my arms, a fine suggestion, but there was one problem. “No, that won’t work. I heard her mention that she was already the advisor for the Volleyball Club.” I shivered as I recalled my initial, violent encounter with that club. “And I’d...personally not like to get involved with them again if possible.” Mugi gave a solemn nod. “I understand...But who should we ask, then?” Tainaka repeatedly thumped her fists against her skull, trying to force her brain to come up with a solution. “Well, it’s gotta be someone we all know, right? I don’t think some random would do.” Hirasawa then took charge, in a rare instance. “I know someone!” She said with encouraging enthusiasm. “Who’d you have in mind, Yui?” Asked Akiyama. “What about Ms. Sawako?” Said Hirasawa, causing myself, Tainaka, and Akiyama to tense up. “How about...someone else…!” I said with unconvincingly fake confidence.

“What’s wrong with her…? We all know her, right?” Hirasawa innocently asked, not understanding how maniacal she can be. Sometimes I envy her simple-mindedness. “No, it’s just…” My eyes scanned the room at a dizzyingly fast speed, looking for some kind of out so we wouldn’t have to consider her. I happened upon nothing, so I came up with a lame excuse. “We shouldn’t bother her is all, yeah?” I turned to Tainaka and Akiyama, knowing full well that my excuse was an insufficient one, and that I needed some backup to get Hirasawa to yield. “Guys, help me out here!” I paused when I saw the expressions on their faces, they were ones of reluctant drive. “No…” I whimpered, knowing full well what those expressions meant. I turned to Mugi for some assistance, but didn’t say anything to her as she didn’t even know about Sawako’s true nature. “You guys can’t be serious…” I said in defeat. Tainaka sighed, “Believe me, I’m not thrilled at the idea either. But desperate times call for desperate measures.” Akiyama nodded, “Ritsu’s right. As much as I don’t like entertaining the idea, Ms. Sawako is our best bet.” At her words, I slouched over to the window. With tears rolling down my cheeks, I dramatically faced the sunlight of the outside world. “Goodbye, comfy club life…”

With my tearful farewell out of the way, we departed from the clubroom and went to the faculty office. As we walked the empty halls, each step created an echo that served as a cruel reminder that the free-form dynamic of our club life was going to leave us for good. “Well, here we are.” I said, standing in front of the door. “W-Why don’t you do the honors, Leo?” Said Tainaka, her body and voice shaking like a scared child. “W-What, you chicken, Tainaka?” I said, trying and failing to grab hold of the door’s grip due to the constant shaking of my hand. “N-Now, no need to be afraid. Let’s just press onward…!” Said Akiyama, equally as fearful as Tainaka and I. “Indeed!” Said a peppy Mugi, latching onto the door handle and opening it in my stead. “No!” Myself, Tainaka and Akiyama screamed as Mugi unwittingly unleashed Pandora’s Box upon us. But to our surprise, what faced us wasn’t a distortive chaotic neutral entity, but rather the calm sounds of...nothing. Mugi skipped right in, not a care in the world as she did so.

“Now or never…” Tainaka said, she exchanged a look of courage with Akiyama, they both took a step forward, walking into the faculty room. For a moment, I wish they’d shared some of that courage with me. “Hey, wait for me…” I said, looking down at my legs as they were paralyzed with an unexplainable, primal fear. “Come on, Le-Le!” Hirasawa said, grabbing me by the wrist as she brought us both into the faculty room, forcing my legs into involuntary movement. “Hirasawa, what are you…!” I entered the faculty room with the wind brushing my face as we raced through it. Why am I always pulled around by these girls? 

No teacher was in sight, besides the familiar bespectacled brunette that Mugi was already chatting with, Akiyama and Tainaka in tow. They seemed...uncharacteristically comfortable talking with her. I don’t know how, but I guess Mugi somehow, successfully, broke the ice. “Hey, Ms. Sawako!” Hirasawa said, compromising our slow walk-in. “Ah, Ms. Yui and…” Sawako said with a smile, turning to us, before I was spotted, her expression suddenly becoming much more wicked. “...Leo.” She said chillingly, rising from her chair much like a zombie. “Where have your reports been, young man…?” She said, donning a slasher’s smile as she approached me, paralyzing me in place. Hirasawa looked in confusion. “I-I’ve been writing them instead…” I said, turning my eyes to the wooden floor because I knew full well what she’d meant by ‘report’. “...Have you not been receiving them?”

“Don’t play dumb!” She said, her face inching ever closer to mine. I tilted my head slightly and looked towards the girls, all equally unsure of what was even happening. I sent a subtle distress signal by moving my face about ever so slightly, but nobody seems to have understood it. I put my eyes back on Sawako, effectively being forced to deal with this ticking time bomb myself. “W-What do you mean...then…?” I said in a vain attempt to play. “You know what I mean.” She said plainly. “Um, excuse me…” Said Mugi. “Yes, Tsumugi dear, what is it?” Said Sawako, her attention now on the rich blonde. Is her flip really switched so easily? “We actually had a favor to ask of you, if that’s okay.” Mugi said, gesturing Hirasawa to come stand at her side, which she did so with her usual bounciness. “What is it, girls?” She said in an uncharacteristically pleasant tone of voice. She’s quite the two-faced teacher, it seems.

Mugi bowed, with Hirasawa following her lead. “Please be our clubroom advisor!” Sawako stood motionless, for a moment before a hushed “Eh?” escaped her. “Are you girls sure, why me?” She said, with obviously feigned dramatism that had the two girls completely fooled. “It’s cuz we’re kind of in a hurry right now.” Tainaka said bluntly. “Wait, is that it?” Sawako said, dropping her act entirely. “Yes, we wanted to perform at the Winter Festival, but we had no idea we even needed an advisor, or what one even was, for that matter.” Said Akiyama. Sawako sighed, taking a seat at the desk of one of her colleagues. “Kids can be so dull sometimes.” She said. “Fine, I’ll be your advisor. Beats sitting here and grading papers all day, at any rate.” Sawako rested her head on her hands, addressing all of us. “So what do you kids do, anyway?” 

“We’re the Light Music Club!” Ritsu said, denoting us as a collective. Sawako gasped, suddenly taken aback in a way that I’ve never seen before. “M-Music Club, huh…?” She said nervously. “Is that a problem?” Asked Hirasawa. “No, it’s not a problem. Why would it be a problem? Who said that was a problem? Not me!” Sawako said, her obviously suspicious denial fooling not even the dense Hirasawa. “Well, it doesn’t matter either way.” I said, wanting to be done with this interaction as soon as possible. “Let’s head to the student council room now, I doubt we have much time left.” Tainaka shrugged. “Got a point there, I guess we can ask her later.” 

“Right, I need to sign for a Winter Festival something or other…?” Sawako said, rising from her chair and heading towards the door. “Um...Yeah?” Said Tainaka. For a teacher who puts on a pleasant face for most of her students, she really doesn’t seem to give much of a shit about what’s happening around her. Not that I’d blame her, if not for this club, I doubt I’d pay it much mind either. “Sure, sure.” Sawako said, “Just take me to whoever I need to speak to.” Does she not know where the student council room is? I’m starting to think she isn’t just two-faced, but a bit irresponsible too. Well, whatever. So long as she can help us out.

We departed the faculty room and headed for the student council room, located on the school’s west wing. “This the place?” I asked as we stood in front of some double-sided doors. “Mm-hmm!” Said Hirasawa, as she pushed the doors open. The room was small, a little dusty, and filled with many boxes containing various props I imagine are meant to be used year-round. Heck, it didn’t even have proper air conditioning like the classrooms, just a single plug-in fan. Much more modest than I was expecting of the people who make so many decisions around her. Though I guess it pairs well with the school’s generally easygoing nature. “Nodoka!” Hirasawa said, getting her attention, as well as the attention of the two other student council members occupying the classroom.

“Oh!” Nodoka said, her eyes lifting from the documents she was reading and resting on us. “You already found someone? That was fast! You all must be more serious about this than I thought.” Well, some of us are, at least. “Now, Mr. or Ms…” Nodoka said, gesturing to our newfound advisor to enter the room. “Sawako.” Sawako said, leaning on the wall with her arms folded, in a way that she probably thought was cool. “Very good.” Nodoka said, paying no mind to who the advisor was for more than a moment. Someone as quick-witted as her had to have known about her ‘other’ side, but maybe she was pretending not to notice for the sake of moving things along more quickly.

“Sign here, please.” She said, putting out the document from earlier with one hand and gesturing to Sawako to come forth with another. Sawako pulled out a pin from what looked like...her chest? No one else in the room reacted to how weird that was, I know this is an all-girls school and stuff, but it’s not the norm around here at all. At least, I don’t think it is...Anyway, Sawako signed the form, and handed it back to our group. “Congratulations.” Said Nodoka. “You’re all set for the big day, everyone. Give it your best.” Tainaka held the paper with our confirmation date and time on it, and our club gathered around her. Sawako's handwriting was quite nice, but most of the paper was in kanji, so I couldn’t read it. As I parsed what I could from the form, the fact that we really were doing this started to set in. I just hope we don’t mess up.

“Alright!” Tainaka said, victoriously lifting the paper into the air. The girls giving their respective cheers in response. “We’re on our way, everyone!” Said Mugi, fist bumping. “I don’t believe this! It’s really happening!” Said Hirasawa, dancing. “Was there ever any doubt?” Said Akiyama. “Well...I suppose there was a lot…!” Akiyama continued, causing the girls to bust their guts in laughter. Seeing them all so happy made me smile, and eased my worries, at least for now. While I still wasn’t exactly happy about the arrangements with Sawako, if it means moving forward, then I guess I’ll just have to deal with it. “Yeah, let’s give it our best.” I said, holding my hand up in the air. 

“Yeah!” Our group sang in perfect unison, a spectacular group hi-five filling the school with a wonderful noise.


	10. Road to the Sunlit Stage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the Winter Festival arrives, and the Light Music Club will be onstage before long. They meet in the early morning and discuss how to make the best of their moment.

The blistering chill of the winter morning blasted through me, causing a shiver like never before. Ugh, who’s idea was it to come so early, anyway? School doesn’t even open till 7:30, yet we had to get here an hour sooner. The least they could have done to make this better was actually be here on time, but instead I’m left with the nothing but the incessant chatter of my teeth to keep me company. Huffing some of my own hot breath into my mitts doesn’t seem to be helping either, as it yielded only a brief respite from the cold. I’ve been alive for some 16 odd years, and one fact has not changed: I absolutely hate the cold.

Hi, it’s Leo again. It’s the morning of the Winter Festival, a big day for all of us in the Light Music Club. Thus, we arranged to meet early in the morning so we could go over some things and be as best prepared as possible for the road ahead. The problem with that is that it seems like I’m the only one who actually seemed to heed that agreement. So if you’re wondering why I decided to willingly subject myself to the frigid morning, that’s why. I looked to the sun, and for a moment I thought, ‘Did someone break you? Should I call a repairman?’ due to the paltry amount of heat it was giving off in the face of all this cold, despite being fully visible. Gah, I’m in too bad a mood right now.

As I sat on the marble walling of a small garden that my butt was practically frozen to, I watched as a small gaggle of students went about their morning as they entered the school gates. It wasn’t a typical school day, so some came with other people. Some came with boys that I assume they were romantically involved with, a few came with families, others came with friend groups. I also saw some people frantically running about with supplies or rehearsing for their performances, a feeling I knew all too well as these last two weeks have consisted of nothing but that. The repetition of our practice is enough to drive any normal man into the ground, yet I’m still sitting here here, so maybe I’m less normal than I prefer to believe. I sighed, my warm breath visible in the sub-zero air.

“Oh.” I said at the sound of a roaring stampede racing through the gates. I got up from my seat and readjusted my scarf, trying my best to cover up my freezing nose and ears. I could really use some ear warmers right about now. “There they are.” I said, as the girls all rushed into the school to meet with me. As they screeched to a halt in front of me, they dropped, hitting their rear ends on the pavement beneath them. Guess they must’ve made quite the mad dash to get here, sometimes I’m lucky that I just take the train. “We…” Tainaka said, desperately gasping for breath. “We’re late…” I leaned down a little. “You sure are.” I said, rubbing salt in her wound. Not something I’d normally do, but I was feeling particularly prickly today. “Yeah, yeah. But look, it’s not even my fault, alright?”

“Yeah. As it turns out, Yui is quite the heavy sleeper…” Said Akiyama, readjusting her guitar on her back. “It’s a good thing I thought ahead and packed those smelling salts…” Said Mugi with a dubious smile. I guess she figured something like that might happen. “Be a little more gentle next time, at least…” Hirasawa whined. “Sorry, Yui. But we can’t take any chances today.” Mugi said apologetically. “Mugi’s absolutely right.” Said Akiyama as she rose from the ground, dusting her skirt off. “This is our make it or break it moment, after all.” And why is it that way, again? Because some people had to pick the big stage instead of the little one? Eugh… 

“Anyway…” I said, reaching a hand out to Tainaka to help her off the ground. “Did you guys manage to iron out any of our problems last night?” Tainaka held a hand on her neck as she moved her head about, creating a few audible cracks. “As much as we could, at least.” I felt a bit of sweat roll down my head at that. Seriously, two weeks of non-stop practice, yet it still feels like we couldn’t get everything right. If we fixed one problem, two more took their place. We were like some musically inclined Hydra, or something. “We’ve got our work cut out for us…” I said, looking at the girls as they were up to their usual four-way mischief. “Oh, that’s right!” Hirasawa said, turning a full 360 degrees as if searching for something. “Le-Le, have you seen Ms. Sawako anywhere?” 

“Uh, no.” I said, a little insulted that she’d suggest that Sawako was someone I’d actively search for. “Why? Is she important?” I said, hoping for the opposite to be true. “Actually, she said she would help us improve our performance before our show.” Mugi said. “Huh? She did? Did I miss something?” Tainaka gave a quick swivel, stopping as her heels pointed towards me, saying “It happened when you were at your part-time gig. We went to Ms. Sawako’s office and asked her to help us out since our progress was slowing down.” She wasn’t wrong, there. “And she agreed to it? Just like that?” I asked. “It took a bit of convincing, but...sure.” She said, the slight stall before her ‘sure’ bugging me. “That’s, um...Well, you’ve got the ‘how’, but why would we need her help? Ms. Sawako’s just a regular teacher, outside of how freakin’ weird she is around the right people.” Tainaka grinned ear-to-ear, giving a chilled laughter through her pearly whites.

“That’s what she wants you to think…” She said, her baleful expression making me uneasy. “But…” She continued as she dug about her coat pocket. “She’s got more than a few skeletons in her closet!” She said, taking out a small paper, which she unfolded to reveal a larger canvas. It was a printed picture, and one that was of relatively low quality. “Who is…” I said, looking at the old picture of a long-haired brunette. “Keep looking…” Said Tainaka, giving the paper a minor but still hypnotic shake. The person in question was obviously some kind of rockstar, and judging by her edgy disposition and expression, she looked like she was in a metal band. “Wait a second…No…” I said, unbelieving of the obvious truths in front of me. “Is that…” Long-haired brunette? A wild side? Heck, her features even look the same. “Oh, no…” I said pitifully. What are the odds that Sawako would be the one to become our advisor on top of being our musical mentor? Eugh. “Oh, yes!” Tainaka said. “Remember how Ms. Sawako got all nervous when we told her that we were part of the Light Music Club?” Tainaka asked, eager to spill her findings. “Um, yeah?” I humored her, not having a clue as to what she was talking about.

“Well, I did a bit of digging!” She said, her smirk growing wider and wider by the second. “And as it turns out, she was in our same Light Music Club once upon a time.” I felt a few hairs grow grey at that distressing knowledge. Has our club been cursed or something? “So I did some checking with a few of the staff’s oldest members, and as it turns out, she’s the way she is now because of her crappy love life during her teenage years.” ....That makes way too much sense. “She was apparently a part of this band called Death Devil.” Tainaka said, pointing to the shirt Sawako was wearing in the photograph, adorned with the words ‘Death Devil’ written in English. “...And she was apparently really embarrassed by it, so she did her best to hide it.”

“But she didn’t hide it well enough!” Said Detective Tainaka, unearthing yet another mystery. “I managed to scrounge up some old photographs of her and her group by calling a few favors, and when I showed them to her, well…” Tainaka’s demeanor changed, going from one of confidence to one of childish embarrassment. “She completely flipped!” She then took a pose, one I assume was meant to replicate Sawako, but she really looked more like something out of a second-rate Kaiju flick. “She said stuff like “if you don’t give me those photos, I’ll destroy you!” and stuff like that.” She said, assuming a regular position. “And...how’d you convince her to help, exactly?” I asked, still somewhat lost. “Easy, I told her that I already had multiple photo copies printed. And she totally fell for that, too! I told her that if she didn’t help us, I’d release the photos to the newspaper club, and everyone would know about what she’s really like.” Tainaka declared, saying her very much illegal act with a strange sense of pride. “Well, so long as you’re the only going to jail for blackmail, I guess it wouldn’t kill us to ask her for help.” I said. A faint “Told you so.” emerged from Akiyama as she stood in the same dumbfoundedness I’d been in, as if she heard her plans and knew of its ramifications.

We then set off for the faculty room, which was filled with teachers hastily getting prepared for the long day ahead of them. “She’s not here, huh?” I said, observing Sawako’s unoccupied desk. Among the mess of papers on her desk was a folded note, with the words ‘For Light Music Club’ written in red ink. “Looks like it’s for us.” I said, opening the note. “Don’t tell me, she abandoned the country and changed her identity...How clever of her!” Tainaka said, caught off guard by her own insane musings. “I don’t think that’s it, Ritsu.” Mugi chuckled. I tried reading the paper, but the mess of strange characters in the sea of kanji left me in a daze, so I handed the paper off to Akiyama, whom I know is good at this kind of thing. “Let me see…”Light Music Club, I’ve been busy preparing for your debut. Please come by the clubroom before your show, I have a surprise for you.” That’s what it says.” Akiyama said, folding the note as she completed translating the message. “Ah, a sneak attack, then?!” Tainaka said as her imagination went off the rails once more. “What’s going on in that head of yours, exactly?” I asked rhetorically. 

With our destination now clear, we headed for our clubroom. For some reason, the mood felt kind of ominous, as if Tainaka’s assumptions from earlier suddenly had weight behind them. “Well, let’s go in…” Said Hirasawa, placing her hand on the handle and sliding it, only for the door not to budge. “H-Huh?” She said in confusion, trying several times to get the door to open, each attempt exuding more force than the last. “Could this be her attack?!” Tainaka said, checking our group’s rear with a defensive stance. This freaked Hirasawa out as she desperately tried to get the door open, tears streaming down her. “Will you quit that, Ritsu? You’re scaring her!” Akiyama reprimanded, being about as done with her shtick as the rest of us. “Stand aside.” I said, gently pushing the frightened girl away from the door so she wouldn’t make a weird situation even weirder. I messed with the handle for a bit, it wouldn’t budge. “I see.” I turned around to the rest of the girls, Tainaka’s wild theory leaving all but the sensible Akiyama in suspense. “It’s just locked.”

“Oh.” Tainaka, Hirasawa, and Mugi said simultaneously, their moods settling down at my clarification. Akiyama could do nothing but facepalm at their antics. “She’s probably still in there. I’ll knock, so be quiet, okay?” The girls all nodded, putting a finger up to their lips and letting out a hushed “Shhh…” With that, my knuckles faced the hard wood of the door, before landing on them with three solid knocks. The final knock echoed in the room. A few seconds passed with no response. “Maybe she’s not here?” Akiyama mused. “Maybe so.” I said. As I was about to give it one more knock, a sudden rumbling came from within the clubroom. “What was that?!” Hirasawa said frightened, taking shelter behind Tainaka’s back. I was a little startled by the sudden noise, but I didn't want to show it. “Calm down, you guys.” I said, my nerves jumpy. The noise in the room crept ever closer to the door, prompting me to take a few steps back from it. Dang, Tainaka’s words were more ominous than I thought. 

A few unsatisfying thumps hit the floor, along with the sound of a grotesque moaning. As the thumps became lazy dragging. Suddenly, a crash hit the door, and the sound of something sliding onto the floor, perhaps from the impact, was heard too. “W’uh…!” I said, visibly startled, though at this point we were all pretty shaken. “What’s happening…?” Akiyama’s voice rolled off her fear. We were all in suspense as the doorknob began to clatter, the inside lock being undone. The girls were all standing behind me, effectively putting me on the front lines with no option for retreat. Not exactly the place I’d wanted to be as the door finally cracked open, a weak voice trickling out the crevice. “Do you know…” A wry voice questioned us as their hand lay on the door’s edge. “Do we know...what?” Hirasawa feebly asked as she ran for cover behind all of us, not wanting to take the brunt of...whatever this thing or person is’ wrath. 

“Do you…” The mystery voice continued as the door flew open with a concerningly loud slam. The silhouette appeared, it was, of course, Sawako. “Do you know what damn time it is?!” She screamed, causing me to put up my arms in defense so I could block both her breath and saliva. Since she asked that, I took the liberty of quickly examining her. She definitely didn’t get enough sleep last night, it actually seems like she didn’t even go home. Messy hair, visible bags under her eyes, unbuttoned uniform that let me see more of her bust than I was comfortable with, some drool falling down the edge of her lip, and crooked glasses. “Um, did you...sleep here?” Akiyama asked, privy to the same theory I had. At her question, Sawako’s darkened expression vanished, becoming more lax. “Oh, it’s you guys!” She said, dodging the question as she hastily cleaned up her appearance. “So you got my note, then?” She asked, in a suspiciously chipper mood. “Yeah, but…” Tainaka eyed her suspiciously before leaning in to get a glimpse of what she could have been plotting in the clubroom in our absence. “What were you doing in there?”

“Why don’t you come in and see?” Sawako said, gesturing to us with a look so genuine that it actually brought about more fear in me than when she’s her usual self. She skipped into the classroom ahead of us, not a care in the world. As she hummed to herself, we decided to have a group huddle to assess her actions. “Okay, this is getting weird.” I whispered. “I told you already, it’s a trap!” Said Tainaka. “She seems pretty normal to me.” Mugi said, her innocence practically blinding. “What’s normal to you, again?” Asked Akiyama, clearly as tired of this as I was. “Why don’t we just see what happens? It can’t be all bad.” Said Hirasawa.

“We don’t exactly have much of a choice, anyway.” I said, momentarily shifting my eyes towards the clubroom. “Fine, but if we all die, I’m not to blame.” Tainaka said, I honestly couldn’t tell if she was serious or not. “Duly noted.” Akiyama said sarcastically. “Um, hello? Are you all coming?” Sawako said, snapping us back in reality with a bit of a scare. “She noticed us.” Hirasawa said bluntly. “We can see that.” I said. “Well, it’s now or never.” Tainaka said, breaking off our group huddle. “Coming!” Mugi said, unknowing of the potential dangers that lay ahead. I felt a push from behind, it was Tainaka, she didn’t say anything, but the fear in her eyes told me that she insisted on me leading the way. Normally, I’d tell her to buzz off, but there was this sort of authenticity in her expression that I found difficult to deny. Swallowing my fear, I took the first step into the room in silent suspense, with the girls slowly teetering in behind me.

As I entered, my head shifted back and forth, checking for anything that might be out of place. “It’s…” I began, my heart beating erratically. “...Completely normal.” I said, my body relaxed as my fight-or-flight response was effectively cancelled. We all, sans Mugi, gave a sigh of relief as we entered the clubroom with little to fear besides Sawako being Sawako. Speaking of her, she was humming behind the wall, with the sound of flapping fabric. “Just a moment. Stay there, m’kay?” She said, her happy tone still being bothersome. “What’s up with her?” I asked, taking a seat on the couch. “I can’t get a good read on her at all.” Tainaka rested on the arm of the couch, taking off her scarf as she did so. “No kidding. Hopefully it’s still something to help us, at least.” Hirasawa took a seat next to me, “Don’t worry. I’m sure she’s got something planned for all of us!” She said, I hope she’s right. As she said that, groans of intense struggle could be heard from Sawako behind the wall. “Um…” Akiyama looked over in confusion. “Ms. Sawako, are you okay?”

“Just fine…” She said, carting over a clothes’ rack into view. It didn’t even look heavy at all, but her being so tired must have made it seem that way. “I spent all night making these.” She said, taking a proud stance next to the clothes on the rack. “They’re costumes I whipped up for your little performance today.” She said, brushing aside her hair in an attempt to look cool or impressive. “Costumes?!” The girls said, running over to the costumes in question. I followed behind them, eyeing the costumes curiously. “Hmm…” One, two, three, four, five costumes total. “How long have you been working on these?” I asked. “Hm? Oh, well I got a late start. I started and finished them all last night.” Sawako responded. My eyes widened, and I had no reason to assume she’s lying. “Why are you a teacher, again?” I asked rhetorically. The girls were too distracted by the costumes to even take notice of what she said, going over how cute they were and that sort of thing. 

“This one would be perfect for you, Mio!” Hirasawa said, removing a gothic maid-like outfit from the rack and showing it to Akiyama. “N-No way, that’s too embarrassing!” Akiyama refused profusely, her face set ablaze at the mere idea of it. “Aw, c’mon, you’d look great in it.” Tainaka said teasingly as she buttered up the noirette. “Yes, I agree!” Mugi agreed as she began to huff profusely, getting a little too excited at the thought. “Leo, help me!” Akiyama said in an attempt to flee destiny. I paused, thinking whether I should help her or not, but with the three other girls all giving me stares, I had no choice but to back down. “...It can’t be that bad, Akiyama.” I said, a little embarrassed. Akiyama gave a weak moan as she realized.

“Why don’t we try it on…?” Sawako said, suddenly emerging near Akiyama with a slasher smile. ‘Looks like she’s back to normal.’ I thought as I observed her grab the poor girl by the wrist. “Why don’t you all try some clothes on, too?” Sawako said with a pleasant voice over the sound of Akiyama, who at this point was literally kicking and screaming. “Yeah, let’s do it!” Tainaka said, running back over to the rack to find something that might suit her. “...Oh, and Leo…!” Tainaka said, “You don’t need to tell me!” I said, getting up and dashing towards the door. “Don’t take too long.” I said, opening the door and shutting it behind me hastily. I hit my weight against the door, sliding down it. As my bottom hit the floor, a 'ka-chunk!' sound would ring in my ears. I guess they locked the door. It made sense for them to do that, but part of me also felt a little insulted for some reason.

I sat next to the door, like some kind of watchdog. It was still early morning, so the hallways were eerily quiet. Most of the hustle and bustle of the school would be occurring near where the classrooms were. Because of this quiet, I could hear the muffles coming from inside the room somewhat. Hirasawa being her usual self, Akiyama screaming in embarrassment, that kind of thing. I banged my head as some indecent thoughts began to intrude my mind. “Stop, stop, stop!” I said to myself. “You don’t look at them like that, okay?!” I yelled, wondering who it was I was trying to convince. “Hey, you okay out there?!” Yelled Tainaka as the rest of the room fell silent. “U-Uh…!” I got up to move away from the door, only to trip on my own two feet. I just barely managed to use my hands to stop my face from colliding with the hardwood floor beneath me. “J-Just fine!” I replied as I stood parallel to the door, holding my ears closed so no more bad thoughts would creep in through them.

Some time passed, and the door opened. “Okay, you can come in now!” Said Mugi, who was now dressed in one of the costumes that Sawako had prepared for her. It was a puffy green dress that really accentuated her doll-like features. She looked a bit like some new Disney princess, actually. Sawako must have made that especially for her, I guess. “Oh, are you looking at my outfit?” She asked. “A-Ah…” I have got to stop making a habit of ogling so visibly. “Yeah, you look…” I stopped my words, thinking about what to say momentarily. Mugi’s not one to misunderstand the meanings behind what I say, but she’s got quite a mouth in front of the others. Best to play it safe. “...Nice.” I finished. “Oh…” Mugi’s eyes widened in a way that made me a bit nervous. “Thank you!” She said contentedly, granting me an internal sigh of relief. I followed her into the classroom, where the ruckus from earlier settled down somewhat. Tainaka was still teasing Akiyama in typical fashion, and Hirasawa was playing along too. The whole time, Sawako was taking pictures that I hope don’t miraculously wound up on the internet.

“Well…?!” Tainaka said, bringing in Akiyama and Hirasawa with her arms, their arms flailing about as if begging for air and personal space. “Hm…” I gave the girls a quick examination. Akiyama was indeed dressed in the same gothic outfit from earlier. She looked like one of those cosplayers I’ve seen in pictures of Akihabara, the look really did work wonders for her. The blacks and whites complimented her nicely, with a big red bow to give the outfit more life. Next was Tainaka, standing in the center as she eagerly awaited a response from me. This was probably the girliest I’ve ever seen her look, looking a bit like a french maid that showed a good bit of skin. Lastly, I looked over to Hirasawa, wearing a sort of old fashioned blouse and a red skirt with the same black pantyhose she normally wore. Seeing her dolled up like this was a little funny, Hirasawa was one who always seemed to put a lot of care into how she presents herself, so seeing someone else effectively take the reins on her fashion sense to best bring out her features was...interesting. Wait, what am I talking about? Why is my face heating up, now? I brought a fist up to my mouth and coughed into it, clearing my throat. “...You look great.” I said with a hushed voice.

“Oooh…?” Tainaka came in closer, with that same catty expression that somehow always manages to piss me off. “Someone getting cold feet from all the cute girls?” I leaned in closer to her, with how heavy my forehead felt, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a visible anger vein on it. “Don’t press your luck.” I said darkly. “Oh, don’t be like that.” Sawako said as she pressed her face against mine, with her hands on my shoulders. Physical contact from her sent a sharp chill up my back, rendering me immobile as she continued her spiel. “Don’t worry, Leo. I prepared a costume especially for you as well.” The thought of myself dressing up hadn’t even occurred to me. I’m not a particularly showy person when it comes to appearance, but it might be worth giving this a shot. “Just so long as it’s PG, I guess I won’t mind.”

Sawako then pulled off a single costume from the rack and laid it bare for me to see. “Oh, I think you’ll like it. Well?” I looked down at it, it consisted of a black and white suit, with white gloves. “A butler’s outfit? Not very fulfilling…” I said, staring at it and imagining what it would look like on me. I frowned at the unpleasant thought of the girls pointing and laughing at me as I wore it. “Hmm…” I said, picking up one of the sleeves and tugging at it lightly. “Well, since you’re not from around here and all, I figured I’d make something more suited for your home country. But even with that, you’ll still look nice with the girls.” Sawako said. I raised an eyebrow at her oddly sincere comment. Well, even if she is a little loose in some areas, she is still a teacher, so it is her job to care about students and stuff. “Alright, I’ll at least try it on.” I said, reluctantly gripping the shirt by its collar. “Really?” Sawako said, moving in closer with a face that, for a spontaneous moment, actually seemed kind of cute. That knowledge scared me, so I fell back a bit. “B-But that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll wear it to the show, okay?!” I said, a little dizzied.

Sawako moved back, giving me personal space as she donned a satisfied, and slightly smug, face. “Okay.” She said. Myself and everyone else exchanged looks for what felt like an eternity. “Um…” I said, everyone looking at me with absentminded expressions on their faces. I looked to the left and right of the room for a time, waiting on them to move. My eyes centered, and they all stood in front of me in weird anticipation. “Get out!” I yelled, my patience having reached its limits. With that, the girls immediately understood what I was getting at, and left the room in a hurry. They slammed the door behind them, and I gave a humph as they did so.

Despite being in a setting that I thought I’d be uncomfortable stripping in, it ended up being the same uneventful process it always was. The girls were all outside, but it felt like nobody was watching me. Maybe that lot is more honest than I give them credit for. Anyway, I got changed into my outfit, and left my school clothes folded on the couch. It was a little tight, especially in the chest and neck area, but it wasn’t too hard to move in, I suppose. I wanted to see what I looked like in this, but there was no mirror in the room from what I could tell. I sighed. Guess I’ll just leave it to them. “Okay, you can come in now!” I shouted. 

The door slowly creaked open, and the girls poured in head-first, giving simultaneous gasps as they laid their eyes upon me in this weird get-up. They then rushed over to me, Sawako following behind at a slow pace as she observed from afar. “Wow, you...look kinda cool!” Said Tainaka, her head going up and down as she took in the details of my outfit. “Not just kinda…!” Said Hirasawa, who was circling me like an attention-seeking cat. “...Really cool!” Said Mugi, who was following Hirasawa’s lead. I scratched my cheek in embarrassment, this much praise, especially for something like my appearance, is foreign to me. “You look like a maestro!” Said Akiyama, waving her hands about. “...Is that right?” I said weakly, unsure of how to respond amidst my expectations being shattered.

“Can I pick ‘em, or what?” Sawako said, leaning against the wall and perking up her glasses. “You sure can!” Tainaka said, outstretching her arms. “Now, people are bound to pay attention to us at the show!” Hirasawa and Mugi gave nods of approval. “With cuties like us, and Leo looking all cool, we’re as good as gold!” Said Hirasawa. “I was a little skeptical about wearing this outfit but...If it’s for the sake of our group...And everyone else is okay with it...T-Then I’ll live with it.” Said Akiyama, putting her hand over her heart so it wouldn’t explode. “So, Leo?” Sawako looked over to me, eager for an answer. “I’ll wear it.” My answer caused the girls to smile contentedly.

"So now that that's out of the way, what's next?" Asked Tainaka, whilst she wiped her nose with overflowing confidence. "What do you mean?" Asked Sawako, evidently confused. "You know, about how you were gonna help us grow as a band? Death Devil? Being a team and stuff?" Said Tainaka, growing a little worried visually. "Huh?" Sawako said blankly. "I blackmailed you for it!" Tainaka said, viciously stomping her foot on the poor wood beneath. "Is that really something you should be saying out loud?" I asked. "You stay out of this!" Tainaka whipped a finger at me, its cracking forcing me into compliance. "Oh, that?" Sawako held a hand against her cheek in recollection. "Yeah, I don't really have any advice for you. It's been two weeks, and your progress has been quite on and off. At this point, you can either do it or you can't." She said, her pleasant tone colliding with the surprisingly brutal honesty of her words.

The room fell silent, if only for a moment, as if to process the words she'd bestowed upon us. 

"Whaaaat?!" We yelled, embroiled in the panic of the situation we'd suddenly found ourselves in.


	11. A Fleeting Moment in Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Light Music Club performs at the Winter Festival, unsure of whether they'll make an impression or not. Afterwards, Yui and Leo have some time to themselves to grow closer.

My eyes opened to the crimson red of the stage curtains. The slow, metallic churning sparked a countdown inside my head. Though whether that countdown was for a time bomb waiting to go off, or a pleasant surprise, God only knew. I wasn’t much for praying, but a divine intervention sounded pretty good right about now. The curtains cracked open, revealing a dark room and a sea of faces swathed in anticipation. All eyes were on us, as were the lights that just flickered on. "One, two, three, four!" Tainaka clanged her drumsticks together, beginning the countdown. "One, two, three, four!" She repeated. Her sticks flew downward, marking the beginning of the song.

But wait a second, let's back up and first examine how we got into this situation in the first place. To about ten minutes ago.

“You really, really, REALLY don’t have anything you could teach us right now?” Akiyama asked, completely terrified at the thought of going onstage unprepared. “I’ll give you the same answer I gave you an hour ago. If you all hadn’t rushed into this, I would have been able to teach you a little something. It’s too late now, though.” Sawako said. Leave it to her to leave us completely in the dark, huh. “Nothing at all? Really?” I asked, knowing full well what the answer was. “Not even some advice on how we should play our instruments? Or voice training? Or...Anything?” Asked Tainaka, growing more desperate with every question. “Sorry, girls...and boy. There’s a lot I could teach you, but it’s much too last minute for me to make a difference. But don’t worry, I’m sure you guys will be fine!” She said, giving us not even an iota of the confidence we may have had before she dropped this bombshell on us. “We’re sunk…” Tainaka cried. “That little stage is looking pretty good, right about now…” I added.

“Don’t worry, you guys!” Hirasawa’s smile filtered out some of my worries. “We’ve practiced really hard! Even if we don’t have help from Ms. Sawako, I’m sure we’ll be fine!” Hirasawa declared. I’m unsure why, but I felt compelled to back her up in the face of evidence saying otherwise. “Hirasawa’s right.” I said, the others looking at me as if I’d gone crazy for agreeing with her. I probably have, to be honest. “Even if we don’t have the help of a professional, all that hard work will do us some good. If we’ve got the drive, I’m sure it’ll turn out alright.” Tainaka frowned at me, saying “Well, it’s easy to say all that. But that won’t mean much onstage.” She said, her defeatist tone bringing back some of my worries. “Yeah, well--” I said. “So was it all for nothing, then?” 

Shock filled the room once we learned who those words came from. It was Hirasawa, who approached Tainaka with a sort of aggression that I, and seemingly everyone else, had no idea she was capable of. “All that training, all that pep talk...It was for today, wasn’t it?” Hirasawa said, inching closer and closer to Tainaka. I couldn’t get a good read of her emotions based just on her face, it was like this weird anger, or was it melancholy? Either way, she had Tainaka on the backfoot, her words giving our ‘leader’ some considerable pause. “I-I…” Tainaka said weakly. “Was all of that really for nothing, Ritsu?” Hirasawa pressed her once more. “I didn’t say that!” Tainaka defended, feeling a little embarrassed by being upstaged by Hirasawa of all people. “I’m just having some doubts, is all. I mean, aren’t you?”

Hirasawa eased up on her after learning what she meant. “Of course not!” She declared proudly. “I always, always had faith in us.” She looked around the room, as if to gauge the emotions on our faces, which had turned to smiles at her borderline saccharine words. “Our work won’t be for nothing, I promise!” Hirasawa said, her posture more poised. “Yui…” Akiyama said, crossing her arms. “I know what you mean, and I agree with you...But…” Akiyama paused. “But what?” Asked Hirasawa. Akiyama’s face softened, becoming more apologetic. “But weren’t you the one who was crying during practice?” Mugi and I snorted, trying to hold in our laughter as Akiyama casually slighted the poor airhead. “Eh?!” Hirasawa shrieked at her words. “B-But, I--” Hirasawa stammered, nearly tripping on her own feet as she did her words. “And for a second there, I thought you seemed cool.” I added. “Le-Le…!” Hirasawa turned to me in shock at my betrayal, giving me a cute and embarrassed blush that honestly made me want to tease her more often. 

“Well, if that’s the case…” Sawako whistled. “You’re not off the hook!” I said, much to her chagrin. “Even if things do work out, I don’t exactly appreciate you leaving us out to dry like that.” I said, figuratively and literally putting my foot down. “W-Woah!” Sawako said, putting her arms up defensively. “Scary…!” I had to hold back a smile over how much fun it was to mess with Sawako like this. “So how are you going to make it up to us…?” I asked, making sure to make my voice as sinister as possible. Sawako held up a book to block my view and looked away, as if to run from her responsibilities. “I-I’ll teach you everything after this is all over, promise! Just stop with that demoralizing look already!” My stern expression morphed into a smile, satisfied. “I guess I can let it slide, then…” I said, looking away as if to ignore her past transgressions. At my words, Sawako placed a hand on her chest, letting out a sigh. “Phew…” She said, rattled. “Maybe Leo should be our group’s muscle…” Said Mugi, in curious observation. “Yes, I agree…!” Said Akiyama, nodding in observation. “He kinda looks like a bouncer in that outfit…” Hirasawa said, nodding. “What crazy ideas are you guys getting over there?” I asked, my question falling on deaf ears as they continued their girlish musings.

Their conversation was then overridden by the sound of congested snorting. It was Tainaka, holding back a smile as she held back what I’m pretty sure was laughter. She gripped her stomach with both her arms, as if to stop it from bursting. “Hehe-- I…” Tainaka said, wincing her eyes. “Y-You…” She continued, her cheeks puffing up. “Hehe…” Tainaka grinned strangely, as if fighting with a more playful side of her for control of her body. "Pft...Ahahaha!" She let out, falling on the floor soon after as her legs gave out under the weight of her laughing fit. "He really…! But then you…! But she…!" She kept laughing, outstretching her arms. I grabbed one of them, pulling her back onto her feet.

Tainaka's laughing soon petered out, becoming a dull wheeze as she regained her breath. "You good, now?" I asked. Tainaka wiped a tear from her eye, a content look about her. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I am." she said, sighing as she scratched the back of her head. "Sorry about what I said a minute ago. I had my doubts, but I think they're gone now." She said. "Good." Said Akiyama, making a huff. "We need our leader, after all." 9Tainaka’s face softened. “Leader, huh…?” She looked down to the ground, her eyes not facing ours. She once again smiled, her eyes looking at us, burning with the usual brilliant confidence we knew her for. “Yeah, alright! Let’s do it! Let’s kick some ass!” She rose her fist into the air, causing the rest of us to follow suit. Tainaka should really look into patenting this hypnotic charisma of hers. “Yeah!” We all cheered.

So that was how we ended up going onstage, against all better judgement. It didn’t take long for this confidence to collapse in on itself, before we walked backstage, even. Still, it was too late to back out now. I took one big inhale as the sound of the stage’s curtains opened, and now, we’re back where this story started.

As the curtains opened fully, the stage’s lights showered upon us, ridding us of our silhouettes. As expected, the seats were mostly filled with the girls who made up our student body. Some looked detached, some looked excited, some weren’t even really paying attention. There were also the occasional boys and families in the audience, helping to diversify the roster somewhat. In a way, this gigantic crowd reminded me a lot of my first day here at this school. Whether that was a good or bad thing, I didn’t really know, but it definitely did make me more eager to prove myself to the ones who’d given me so much crap initially. I felt my expression grow more serious as a result of this. Whispers started as everyone began to look at us more thoroughly, this definitely reminded me of my first day here, and in the worst ways possible. So many prying eyes that can’t seem to mind their own business. Then again, I guess they’re supposed to be looking at us. Still, it was super uncomfortable. 

Whispers were practically flooding the room at this point. The main topic of discussion being how we--rather, the girls, were dressed. "They're so cute!", and "Oh wow, look at their outfits!" were just a few of the things I'd heard from the women in the audience. The audience also had its share of lecherous comments that made me want to cut loose on some of the men who were in attendance. “Man, they’re so hot!” and “I’d like to take one of them home with me!” My mind flashed a violent red at the thought of what I'd do if they so much as touch any of these girls, but I had to keep that suppressed, at least for now. I just hope the girls aren't too put off by them.

“Wait, isn’t Sakuragaoka a girls-only school?” asked an unfamiliar female audience member. "Maybe he's a friend of theirs?" said the girl sitting next to her. “How does that even work?” asked another. Can't say I had an answer to that last one. By all accounts, I really shouldn't be up here right now. “Hey, it’s that Leo guy…!” someone said, immediately catching my attention. “Yuck, he’s still around…?” said another. Oh, come on! I know I’m a guy and all, but it’s been at least a few months! Surely you’ve gotten at least a little used to me by now?! My then solemn appearance warped into one of unseen outrage as the grip on my violin's bow grew more intense.

“Um…” Hirasawa’s cute voice echoed in the auditorium as she spoke into the mic in front of her. Maybe it was due to the setup of the mic, or maybe she was too close to it, but it caused some major feedback. The unpleasant sound reverberated throughout the room, with the whispers being brought to a halt by unpleasant groans of the audience instead. “Ah!” Hirasawa said, taking a step back in panic, unsure of what she may have done wrong. Akiyama quietly gestured to her, motioning her finger over her mic twice as if to give a demonstration. Hirasawa breathed in and breathed out to calm herself down. She gave Akiyama a nod, and followed her lead. She tapped the mic twice, with two loud ‘thump’ sounds echoing throughout the room. She gave it a second, before finally speaking once more. 

“Um…” She said once again, with no feedback following suit this time. The groans were now replaced with silent intrigue as Hirasawa took center stage. “Hello, everyone! My name is Hirasawa Yui! I’m a first-year here at Sakuragaoka Girls’ High School!” Hirasawa said with surprising ease. “I really love it here, so I’m happy you all came today!” She said, giving a smile that easily wooed the audience. Normally, I’d be a little sickened by that kind of ease in which the crowd is won over, but if I were in that crowd too, I’d be the exact same. “It’s cold outside, isn’t it?” Hirasawa said, I remember one of the last minute pieces of advice Sawako gave us was ‘make small talk with the audience’. Guess she took that to heart. The crowd gave a loud “Yeah!!” as they were now completely and utterly under Hirasawa’s unwitting trance. She was even quite taken aback by this.

Since the crowd was distracted by Hirasawa’s small talk, I took the opportunity to shoot some glances at the others so I could gauge the situation. Mugi, Tainaka, and Akiyama all gave me looks that told me that they thought this was going well. “And so, I thought, maybe I’d wear two scarfs today!” Hirasawa continued, with the audience laughing. She’s no Chris Rock or anything like that, but they seem to like it. But wait, this isn’t a comedy bit. “Get. On. With. It.” Tainaka said through her teeth, scaring Hirasawa to get back to what’s actually important. “A-Anyway, enough about me…” She said, bringing the audience down a bit. She cleared her throat, her expression more focused on the task at hand. “We are the Light Music Club! Right now, it only has five members!” She held out her arms to address us as a collective. 

She went from right to left, “First, Kotobuki Tsumugi! We just call her Mugi, though! She’s really nice, and has big eyebrows! She always brings yummy snacks for after school, too!” Mugi gave a modest wave, prompting the crowd to explode at how adorable she was. Sheesh, did we even need to practice? I’d bet they’d gloss over tons of mistakes just because of the girls and their costumes. “Next, Ritsu Tainaka! She’s our leader!” Hirasawa said, outstretching her arms as if to play up Tainaka’s importance, much to our leader’s embarrassment. “She plays our drums, and is really cool!” Tainaka lifted her drumsticks into the air, prompting another enthusiastic eruption from the crowd. I couldn’t make out what she said over all the yelling, but reading her lips, I think she said “Woah…” in response to that. “Next up, Mio Akiyama!” Hirasawa said, outstretching her hand to the other vocalist who stood beside her. “Mio’s really cool! She’s super smart and reliable! And she’s so cute, isn’t she?” Hirasawa said, prompting yet another explosive “Yeah!!” from the crowd. Akiyama herself looked as if she were about to explode, but from embarrassment. Her face was beet red as it slowly approached the mic, “He…” she started, “Hello…” She said, tinged with embarrassment. Honestly, she’s less of a wreck than I thought she’d be. “Hello!!” The crowd answered back with enthusiasm, causing Akiyama to visibly flinch back in a way that only added to her charm.

“Lastly…” Hirasawa started. ‘Here we go.’ I thought to myself. “We have Leo Katnua!” He continued. “Or as I like to call him, Le-Le!” She continued, to my chagrin. Surprisingly, the nickname didn’t garner any laughs. “Le-Le’s kind of weird, he’s the only boy in our group, and he can be really strange sometimes.” Huh? Strange? “But even so, he’s taught me a lot! And we’ve had lots of fun together!” Wha…? Is that really what you believe, Hirasawa? “I’m really glad I met him!” I really couldn’t explain why, but in that instant, it was as if I were lighter than air. I felt...Elated? Is that the right feeling? Ah, sheesh, Hirasawa. Why’d you have to say all that mushy stuff? I decided to give the crowd my best smile, for her more than myself, or even for the crowd. The crowd also erupted, perhaps not as loudly as for the other girls, but I felt surprisingly...welcomed. It was a nice feeling to have, especially among so many people.

“The song we’re performing is…!” Hirasawa stopped, keeping the crowd in suspense, and giving Tainaka her cue. “My Love is a Stapler!” 

“One, two, three, four!”  
“One, two, three, four!”

Tainaka’s drumming began, and soon our vocalists’ guitars did too. Mugi and I exchanged nods, before joining in ourselves, adding extra flourish to the sappy tune, as we constantly did throughout the past two weeks. So far, so good.

“Nande nan daro”  
“Ki ni naru yoru kimi e no”  
“Kono omoi ben sin ni ne”

Ah, Akiyama’s voice is as wonderful as always. It seriously sounded pretty damn professional, as if she really were singing on that giant stage Tainaka imagined that we’d all be on one day. It’s as if she entered a trance when she began to sing, unbothered by her surroundings or the sea of eyes that rested upon her as she sang. Keep it up, you’re doing stellar, Akiyama.

“Kaite miru yo”

Ah, damn, not again! Hirasawa missed her cue again! I had to fight back a frown at this rather unsurprising revelation. Even after all this time, it was something we just couldn’t get quite right. Well, we can’t stop now. I guess Akiyama will just have to carry the lyrics for the time being.

“Sore na no ni masuu dake”  
“Fuete yuku yo”

I wonder what the audience thought of how strange this was? I kept my eyes closed while playing my violin, as I always did since I needed to keep focus. But I couldn’t really visually gauge what they thought of it. If I opened my eyes, I’d probably just lose focus and put our entire song in jeopardy. So I guess I just have to wait in dark suspense.

“Kimochi goto”

Ah! Two voices, resonating as one being. We finally reached our perfect equilibrium.

“Motte you ka na”

Hirasawa, you did it! It’s a bit late, but you know the old saying. Better late than never!

“Ima no kimochi wo arawasu”

Finally, we played as one. And not to toot my own horn, but we sounded pretty god-damn amazing too. Tainaka’s drums provided our song the perfect rhythm. Mugi’s piano gave it an elegant, yet playful flourish. Akiyama’s guitaring was seriously so out of this world, not to mention her singing. That girl is multi-talented and then some. Then there was Hirasawa, the way she worked her guitar was pretty amazing for someone as seemingly green as her. Her singing was also just beautiful, flat-out. She has this wispy, relaxed sort of voice that lended her vocals a sort of soothing, lullaby-like effect. As for myself, I provided extra, more toned flourishes to complete the package that was our debut song. And man, what a debut it was.

“Rara ma ashita…”

The song came to a close, and the playing ceased. I opened my eyes, and it was as if my ears opened too. I could only hear the sound of thunderous clapping that seemed as though it had no end. I exchange glances with the girls, my lips ceaselessly arching into a smile; theirs as well. The sweat we’re drenched in, our heavy breathing, everything we worked towards for these past few weeks. We did it. We really, really did it. This swelling, warm feeling...accomplishment, when did I last feel this? Did I ever feel this? Chants overpowered the clapping and hollering. Chants that kept going “Mio! Mio! Mio!” over and over again. The girl in question looks to us in confusion, unsure of what to do next. All of us give her warm nods of approval, ones that say 'Go on, then!', hopefully to boost her confidence back up in the face of such ferocious support. Akiyama practically carried us since she took the extra time to make sure she got Hirasawa’s lyrics right in the chance that Hirasawa would end up missing her cue again. She deserves to enjoy this moment of glory, if you ask me.

“Everyone…” Akiyama said into the mic, as if she were about to burst in tears. “Thank you so much!” She said, bowing. With that, the crowd had grown louder. Restless, even. The “Mio! Mio! Mio!” chants continued still. “Let’s go, everyone!” Hirasawa said, to which we all nodded in agreement. We proceeded to head backstage. I’m gonna miss soaking up all this fame and adoration, but perhaps it's best not to get drunk off of it too. A thump was heard, as well as the drop of the mic, which caused some major feedback in the auditorium. We turned around to investigate the source of the noise, it was Akiyama, who’d tripped over a wire and fallen onto the floor. I began to run over to her. “Akiyama, you oka--” I stopped dead in my tracks then and there, as I now fully understood the absolutely devastating position she’d found herself in. “Oh no…” 

Tainaka looked on in horror, as if she’d watched someone be run over. “That’s...not good.” Tainaka said. I’ll say. Akiyama’s face was planted thoroughly in the floorboards, and her butt was up and facing the audience. While wearing a skirt that short, it could only mean one thing. “Pantieeeees!” One of the audience members screamed as they pointed, throwing the entire crowd in a frenzy. "Ow…" Akiyama's face rose slowly, her nose somewhat bruised from the impact. "Huh?" She said, turning her head to face the crowd. Her eyes widened, realization striking her like a bolt of lightning. "Huh...Huh…" was what I think she said. She was breathing extremely heavily, her face getting redder and redder, to a point of boiling. "Noooooooo!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, putting any old microphone and speaker to shame as I'm pretty sure the entire school heard her yelling.

Akiyama blitzed out of the room in mortified panic, putting an end to our first ever show. Honestly, despite that major literal slip-up at the end, things ended up far better than I thought they would. Some time passed, and we regrouped in our clubroom. Sawako was asleep on the couch by the time we’d got back, catching up on some much needed Zs. Normally I’d grill her for this, but her costumes were a big help, so I suppose she’s earned it. Her soft snoozing served as a weirdly relaxing backdrop to our snacking. Call it an early celebration, but Hirasawa insisted that we set out some snacks to cool off. She probably just wanted to eat, but I didn’t eat breakfast, so I wasn’t gonna object. 

Mugi laid out an arrangement of cookies and cake on the table, leaving the clubroom wafted in the scent of a bakery. “Mmm...This is good, as always!” Hirasawa said, her mouth full of a spongy cake. “I’m glad you enjoy it. I bought it from somewhere new, so I was curious about its quality.” Mugi said, taking a napkin and wiping off some whipped cream surrounding Hirasawa’s lips. “Oh, Leo, would you like me to pour you some tea?” She asked, gesturing to my still empty teacup. “Yeah, thanks.” I said. As she poured the reddish-brown liquid into my cup, my eyes wandered to the room’s corner. “Pa-panties...P-P-Panties...Panties…” Said Akiyama, still understandably devastated over what had transpired earlier today. She sulked in the corner, unresponsive to any of us. “It’ll be okay, it wasn’t…” Tainaka started, before thinking about what to say. “...THAT many people, I think…” Tainaka said with unconvincing certainty, to which Akiyama could only sulk even harder. “Now I can’t get married…” Akiyama whined. Though after that little display she had, I’m certain she had more than a few suitors just begging to propose to her. “Is she gonna be okay…?” I asked, uncertain. “She’ll be fine! ...I think.” Tainaka said, rubbing the poor girl’s back.

“...Right, well…” I took a sip from my cup, unsure of how to respond to that. "Poor Mio…" Hirasawa looked on in sadness. "Well, you heard her. She'll be fine...I think." I said in vain in an attempt to console Hirasawa. “Not much we can do now, though. At this point, I’m pretty sure she’s already got some kind of fan club.” Tainaka turned to me with a goofy grin on her face. "She does, actually!" Her words nearly caused me to eject the sweetened water through my nose. "Wait, what?!" I yelled. “How did that even happen with all the noise going on at the festival?” I asked as I readjusted myself in my chair. “Ooh! Ooh!” Hirasawa excitedly rattled with her mouth full. “The festi--” she tried to say, before cutting herself off as she began to choke on sugar and dough. I could only look dumbstruck as she quickly swiped my teacup and dislodged the solid sugar with liquid sugar. “Phew!” She said, soothing the front of her neck with her palm.

"What were you saying…?" I asked in impatient disbelief as I grabbed my cup back from her and wiped the parts her lips had touched. "I said...The festival!" Hirasawa said as she pointed a finger upwards to grab my attention. "What about it?" I asked, my head tilting curiously. "Remember? You said you would go with me!" She said, outstretching her arms and rotating her entire body like a top. "Right, I guess I did." I lazily reeled, circling my teacup with my finger. "Did you want to go now?" I looked up, seeing her fun-filled eyes bounce off mine. “Yeah, let’s go! Let’s go!” She said, bouncing up and down with her usual energy. How could she not be tired after our concert, I wonder? “Hey, everyone! Let’s all go together!” Hirasawa suggested, flapping her arms about. Tainaka looked to us with an apologetic smile as she continued to tend to Akiyama’s backside. “You guys can go, I don’t think Mio is ready for the outside world just yet.” she said with a forced laughter. “Well, okay then…” Hirasawa pouted. “Mugi?” Hirasawa turned to the blonde, who was eyeing us with curious intensity. “Oh!” said Mugi, whose concentration was broken. “You see, I would go...But I think I should stay behind and help out Ritsu.” she said with an apologetic bow. Something seems oddly familiar about what she just said. “Oh..” Hirasawa gave an adorable pout as her upper body went slack at the news. “Hey, don’t worry. We can have their share of fun too, okay?” I said, wanting to console her. “Okay!” She immediately perked up as she dashed towards the door. That’s one of the things I’ve always liked about Hirasawa, she’s just so easy.

I threw my school clothes back on and met with Hirasawa in the hallway. “Eh? Le-Le, why’d you change?” the girl in question asked as she observed me from top to bottom. "Why didn't you?" I asked as Hirasawa continued to wear the costume, spinning around and tugging at her skirt as if to bring attention to it. "It's not everyday we get to wear costumes like these. Besides, isn't it cute?" I thought about it for a second because I wanted to say something, but I guess there's no arguing with the truth. "Ah, nevermind." I said in vexed defeat. "Let's just get going, okay?" Hirasawa put one hand on her hip and the other straightened towards her brow. "Aye-aye! Lead the way, captain!" She shouted. Some of her excitement spilled onto me in the process, my face contorting into a slight smile as a result. Though as we head for the first-year halls, I get a strange feeling that eyes are digging into my backside. Meh, I guess that's technically pretty normal whenever I'm at school anyway.

Before long, we reach one of the first-years' hallways. Despite it technically still being somewhat early morning, the festival was in full swing by the time we arrived. It was like I'd stepped into a whole other world as I took in the transformation the hallway had undergone. Noise and chatter encapsulated the room as students and guests went about their fun-having. I've never seen this hall so lively before, and I walk through here almost every day. It was also quite a lot more colorful, with streamers hanging across the walls and various drawn, albeit crude-looking billboards that advertised the various stalls and activities that were strewn about the equally decorated flooring. Quite a contrast from the ever-calming, ever-boring browns that the hallway normally consisted of. I wasn't the only one amazed by what I was seeing, as Hirasawa was left surveying the area several times over in a way that I'm surprised didn't seem to hurt her neck.

"Hey, Le-Le, are you hungry?" Hirasawa asked as she sniffed about the hallway, like a dog seeking a treat. "Didn't we just eat?" I asked. Hirasawa's gluttonous history was not lost on me, but as the pleasant, wafty scent of various foodstuffs mingled with my nostrils, I suddenly felt an obligation to play along. "Well, maybe another bite to eat wouldn't be so bad?" I said as I scratched my warm cheeks, embarrassed at the ease in which I complied. "Great, then let's go!" She said as her feet scampered across the floor, running past various stalls selling food. "Go where?" I said, following behind her as my eyes wandered about the stalls. Dumplings, tempura, noodles, the sorts of things you'd find at any old corner store that I imagine wouldn't be particularly difficult for high schoolers to prepare. "Ah, there's one!" Hirasawa pointed at a booth placed near the hall's stairs. "Have you ever had Takoyaki before, Le-Le?"

"Um…" I unconsciously let out as I browsed my memory banks. I came up with nothing, I didn't know who or what a takoyaki was. "Guess not, is that what's on the menu?" Hirasawa nodded in a way that said 'How observant!' despite it being an ultimately simple one. "You got it!"

We headed over to the stall, which had a slight stench of what I think was supposed to be saltwater, or seabreeze. "Hey there!" Hirasawa greeted the student manning the stall with her usual chipper demeanor. "Oh, Yui!" The girl pleasantly returned the greeting. "I saw you guys perform today. You were great!" Hirasawa gave a bashful wave. "Oh, stop!" She said with the fakest tinge of embarrassment I'd ever heard. Knowing Hirasawa, she probably wanted her to keep going. "No, really! You were awesome! You too, Leo!" 

"Huh…?!" I gave an awkward pose to the girl, surprised as I was suddenly inserted into the conversation. It's rare for me to be acknowledged by students other than members of our club, rarer still for that acknowledgement to be positive. "Ah…" My eyes wandered about the place, looking for something to say in response. I couldn't blow this, it was a perfectly normal conversation with a perfectly normal girl. "Well...I don't think I did much…" I said, my voice cracking so hard that I'm pretty sure everyone in the hall heard it. “You kidding? That violin was so cool!” she said, widening her arms. There’s that word again, ‘cool’, maybe I should start giving myself more credit. “She’s right, Le-Le!” Hirasawa stepped back in. “You might not know it yet, but you really were a big help out there!” Huh? Huh? Feels like my systems are being attacked...overloading? Gah, too much praise can break me, too? “Uh, what were we doing again?” I asked, wanting to swiftly change topics so I wouldn’t short-circuit.

“Oh, right! Takoyaki!” Hirasawa said as she pressed a fist into her palm. “See, Le-Le’s never had it before, so I wanted to see him try it for the first time!” she said, pointing at what looked sort of like meatballs. I guess that’s takoyaki? “Ah, who’s--Oh! You mean Leo? Cute nickname!” The girl said, much to my embarrassment. “It’s really not.” I huffed. “Oh, don’t be so embarrassed about it!” She replied. “Yeah, the whole school knows that nickname of yours now, anyway!” Hirasawa said, casually dropping a bombshell on me. “Shoot!” I shouted, accidentally catching the attention of some of the nearby attendees. Look away, please. “I was so caught up in us performing well, I’d completely forgotten! Aw, damn it!” My foot impatiently banged against the floor. Why am I so nervous about this? Not like a lot of people don’t already know about that name, anyway. Ugh, calm down, Leo! “Not like many girls besides us talk to you anyway.” Hirasawa said, her scalding words leaving me with a piercing burning feeling. “Sheesh, did Tainaka teach you that one…?” I asked, having the wind expunged out of me by that low blow.

"Ehehe…" Hirasawa chuckled as she pointed her tongue at me, giving me all the confirmation I needed. I'll get her back for that later, I suppose. "Here you are!" The girl managing the stall said, handing us both paper trays lined with takoyaki. Now that I got a better look at these, boy, did they look really appetizing. They were balls of what was apparently octopus according to the billboard above the waiter's heads. The octopus is covered in breading that was cooked into an inviting golden brown, topped off by diced aonori and bonito. It was also lathered in some kind of sauce, the rich scent wasn't familiar to me, but that didn't make the food seem any less enticing. To top things off, all of this food was in a simple, compact ball shape. "Don't stare for too long, Le-Le!"

"Huh?" I looked at the apparent takoyaki eating expert. "Why's that?" She picked up a small, toothpick-like utensil and stabbed into one of her takoyaki as if to make an example of it. "They may look delicious, but they're best eaten when they're piping hot." Hirasawa said, her eyes darting between me and the student working the stall, who had a robotic smile on her face as she observed us. My eyebrow creaked in suspicion at the girl's odd motions. But when it comes to matters regarding food, I know Hirasawa always takes things as seriously as possible, so I'll trust her judgement with this. "Alright then." I said, stabbing into one of the balls of octopus. I put the ball near my mouth, and my eyes watched Hirasawa's movements as I did so. Is it me, or was there a suspiciously malicious glint in those brown eyes of hers?

I put the entire ball in my mouth. It tastes...surprisingly salty, actually...Kind of sweet, too. Whatever this sauce is, it's really got a nice kick to it that contrasts the flavor of the ball itself quite well. It's also...hot. Really hot. Definitely, super "Hot!" I roared as I covered my mouth, which had become a raging inferno. It wasn't spicy, but I felt mortal danger as my internal temperatures spiked to unnaturally high levels. Hirasawa could do nothing but laugh relentlessly as I'd juggled a flaming ball of grease and salt in the inner walls of my mouth. I huff to let in some cool air, which only made me look more ridiculous to potential spectators, but I didn't care. This is a matter of life and death.

Eventually, I tamed the hellfire, and swallowed. Despite the grievances it caused, it was quite good, all things considered. “Can I ask what it was that compelled you to do that, Hirasawa?” I asked the still laughing girl. I wasn’t sure why I wasn’t more angry with her, suffering for another’s amusement normally drives me up a wall. “Sorry, sorry!” she apologized, still holding her gut as she let out yet more contorted laughter. “It’s just...I had to see that face! Bwahahaha!” The sudden desire for revenge overtook my body like a rush of water, and I found my hand unconsciously aiming for the girl’s nose. “Yer laughin’ too damn much!” I said, pinching the girl’s nose so she would shut up. “Ow! Ow! Yield, I yield!” The girl said, swatting her arms at me so I’d let go. I did, and she was left holding her hands over her nose so as to nurse it back to health. I guess that was good enough as far as getting back at her goes. 

Afterwards, we found a bench and rested on it. “So, didja like it?” She said, inching closer to me, causing me to widen the gap between us. “Yeah, I did, actually. But I don’t actually have to eat it like that every time, do I?” I said, observing one of the delicious-looking yet deadly clumps of octopus meat. “Of course not, silly. Watch me, okay?” She said, stabbing at one of the clumps of me. She gave the meat a few huffs, before bringing the stick over to me. “Try this, and eat slowly.” I looked at the meat and briefly calculated the odds of this being another trap. Is Hirasawa even clever enough to set up a second one? Nah, no way. “Okay.” I nodded slowly, eating that which lay ahead of me. “It’s...good.” I said, relieved. All of the benefits and none of the drawbacks of last time. “I’ll have one, too!” Hirasawa said, readied to indulge herself. “Wait a sec!” I said, realizing how this may be interpreted. She just used that stick to feed me a second ago, it’s still got my spit on it, I’ve seen enough trashy romances to know that this is the old ‘Indirect Kiss’ trope. I don’t want any misunderstandings, we’re just friends, after all. “Here.” I said, using my stick and taking one from my plate to feed her. She blew some air onto it, and ate the whole thing then and there.

“You’re such a gentleman sometimes, Le-Le.” she said, her voice clearly patronizing. “Shut up, I only--” wait, why did I do that?! I stared at the stick she’d just ate off of, but I ate off this one too! So not only did we indirectly kiss...but was I the one to make the first move…? Agh, what is wrong with me?! “Le-Le, is something wrong?” She asked, happily gorging herself on the rest of her food. “Hirasawa, you--” my thoughts raced to keep up with what I was actually saying. Judging by her current attitude, I’m guessing the context for what happened just flew over her head. “I what…?” She asked, cleaning off some of the sauce near her lip. “You...wanna go find something fun to do?” I said, my words sticking to the landing, somehow. “Yeah!” she immediately rocketed up from her seat. “Anywhere you have in mind?” she asked, looking around for something potentially interesting. Hmm, based on the cliches that normally pop up with these kinds of things, what would be around here? A cafe? No, that wouldn’t be much different from the clubroom. Some kind of game? I guess that might work, but there are so many to choose from. “Well, let’s just look around until we find something, I guess.”

We walked all throughout the hall. Nothing in particular caught my eye, but Hirasawa thought just the opposite. She fervently checked every stall, giving comments about them and how we should do this or we should play that. Eventually, we went to one of the upstairs. “Oh, Nodoka!” Hirasawa said as she’d caught her friend roaming the halls, she, of course, immediately ran over to her, with me following slowly behind. “Hi there, Yui!” Nodoka said, embracing her longtime friend. “What’s with the getup?” I asked as I looked at her funny hat and red armband. “Are you supposed to be some kind of hall monitor? A cop, maybe?” She took off her cap and began to fan herself with it, it didn’t seem that hot in the room till she did that. “Something like that. Everyone in the Student Council is helping out to make sure nothing goes awry. Students are operating things that they normally wouldn't, so you can never be too safe." she said as her hands waved about the various machinery and contraptions, some of which were home-made, that were spread about the premises. "Makes sense, I guess." I shrugged. "Nodoka, you saw our show, right?!" Hirasawa asked, her eyes wanting a satisfactory answer. "Of course. Why would you even need to ask? You guys were great, by the way!"

"Much better than I expected, at least." Nodoka said as she folded her arms, her face contorting into something that felt teasing. "Huh? What do you mean by that?!" Hirasawa stomped, wanting yet another satisfactory answer. "It means she probably kept her expectations low." I interjected. "Don't blame her. I wasn't expecting much out of us either, to be honest." I looked away from Hirasawa's eyes, which were no doubt either on the verge of tears or red-hot with anger. "Well...I guess that makes sense…" Hirasawa said calmly, subverting my expectations. "But we proved you wrong, right?" I nodded. "Yeah, for sure." I said, patting the girl on the head to keep her excitement in check. Her hair felt like fine silk. "Nodoka?" she looked over to the girl. "Mmm, yes. You could definitely call me a believer, now." Nodoka said, pushing up her glasses as if to reappraise us. Hirasawa smiled at this, taking my hand off her head as she wrapped it in hers. I was embarrassed, but calling attention to what she was doing would have only worsened things for me. "Then it's all good!"

"By the way, what are you two doing here, anyway?" asked Nodoka. "And where is the rest of your group?" she asked, looking to the very much vacant spaces next to us. "Ah, well...A certain someone is currently in the process of being consoled…" I scratch the back of my head, a smile accidently forming as I recalled the utter insanity of the situation. "Ooooh…" Nodoka slowly let out, her regretful tone telling me that she fully picked up what I put down. "And, well, I'd promised Hirasawa that we'd hang out during the festival, so here we are now." I explained, all while Hirasawa kept giving supportive 'Mm-hms!' A small smile creaked upon Nodoka's face. "You promised, now did you? Well, if that's the case, have you checked out the Haunted House? I know it might not seem like much since it was just made by a bunch of high school students, but it's some seriously impressive stuff. The Art and Horror Club really put their all into it." Wait, did she say 'club' as in singular? So it's one thing? And here I thought the Light Music Club's appeal was niche. "That sounds like fun! Where is it?" asked Hirasawa, prompting Nodoka to point a finger skyward, towards the ceiling. "Third floor." she said simply, as she swiveled around, her back now facing as she walked away. "You two have fun, now." she said with a wave as she returned to her duties.

"C'mon, let's go!" Hirasawa said as she skipped to the nearby staircase; myself following behind her at roughly half her pace.

We arrived at the school's third and uppermost classroom floor, the floor for third-years. I suppose this was as a result of the third-years being more experienced, but the quality of the props and decorations used for the festival saw a tremendous uptick in quality. Drawings were less spotty and more professional-looking, there were proper menus and prices for food stalls, heck, there were even fully operational cash registers. Some of the stalls were operated by people who looked more like it was just another day at their job, obviously forced smiles and all. "We'll be up here before long, huh?" I pondered aloud about the not too distant future. "Yuh-huh!" Hirasawa swiveled, taking in all the sights that may be useful to her later. "Well be adults soon enough!"

"Ah, that's probably it." I said, pointing towards a room whose entrance was draped in lavender. “Um, hello?” I said to the person manning the entrance, they were covered in cotton robes, wore a weird-looking mask, and were even staring into a surprisingly convincing-looking crystal ball to complete the look. “Mmm?” an absent-minded voice emerged from within the mask. “Ah, yes, what is it?” she asked. For some reason, even though this was an all-girls school, I was still a little caught off guard by the fact that the voice behind the mask was a girl. “We’d like to take a trip through your haunted house, if you don’t mind.” I said. “Oh!” the masked girl said in surprise, as if being snapped back into reality. She clears her throat, and quickly rises from her seat, nearly knocking over that crystal ball over that crystal ball of hers in the process. 

“Welcome to a world of Lovecraftian horrors!” The girl said with a rolling voice, with her hands gesturing some sort of cue so the person who managed the music can start playing the creepy, albeit incredibly childish music. “Oh, brother.” Hirasawa said, unimpressed. Echoing my thoughts for me. “E-Enter if you dare!” the masked girl said, clearly trying and failing to keep ground after Hirasawa’s dismissive remark. “O-Only the bravest souls leave alive!” she said, struggling to remember her lines despite how trite they were. “And...um...please try our haunted house!” the girl said with a desperate bow, her mask nearly falling off in the process. Hirasawa and I exchanged tired and impartial looks. I turned back to the masked girl, her sad desperation striking a strangely familiar chord with me. “Sure, let’s just get this over with, I guess.” I said with a shrug. “Eh, Le-Le, are you serious?” Hirasawa said to me in surprise. “I think?” I said, unsure of myself. Hirasawa looked to the haunted house that suddenly seemed significantly less impressive in hindsight, and then back to me, the guy who still wanted to go in anyway. “I’m kind of interested. I just want to see how they built it, I guess.” I said, haphazardly trying to justify myself in the face of Hirasawa’s uncharacteristically judgemental eyes. 

Thankfully, she played along, and we found ourselves going into the house afterwards. As it turns out, the professionalism that I’d initially praised the seniors for was something that only ran skin-deep. “This place is too cramped.” I said, using the light of my phone so as to not lose my way in the darkness. We walked slowly across the floor, trying to find whatever semi-interesting thing we could. “Is there even anyone else in here?” asked Hirasawa. I spun my phone’s light around the room, an ultimately fruitless effort since the student-made corridors were so small. “I don’t...think so? Let’s just keep going.” 

So we continued, and the further we went in, the further the room’s illusion of fear fell apart. It was already unimpressive before we’d entered, but seeing the hastily-made props up close really did a number on my opinion of that Art and Horror Club that I otherwise knew nothing about. “Hey, Hirasawa, does Nodoka scare easily or something?” I asked, holding one of the props in my hands. It was some cheap ghost cut-out with red paint, which I suppose was blood, that hadn’t even dried yet. “No way! Nodoka’s stone cold whenever we watch horror movies.” the girl said as she popped her head out of some of the curtains she’d been looking through. “Huh, alright then.” I said, putting back the prop I’d been messing with. “I wonder why she would send us here, then? She had to have known about how crappy this is.” Hirasawa would then push my backside, moving me further along. “Maybe she just sees something we don’t?” she said. “Maybe.” I said in half-agreement.

As we progressed further through the dark room, a chilled air would brush against my side. “Hirasawa, you feel that?” I asked as the hairs on my arm stood up; the chills growing more restless. “Feel what?” she cluelessly asked. “It’s not cold to you?” I said as I rubbed my arms to maintain a sense of warmth, and even re-wrapping my scarf. “Um, are you messing with me?” Hirasawa asked me, observing her surroundings with an eye of skepticism. “What? No. Maybe it’s just the air conditioning?” I said, pointing out the slow hum of what I could only assume was the air conditioning. “But...I don’t hear anything?” she said, putting an open palm near her ear as if to echolocate what I was talking about. I looked at the girl in slight disbelief. “I’m starting to think you’re the one messing with me.” I said as I turned back around, continuing onward.

“Ack!” Hirasawa winced. “Hm?” I turned around to the now shaking girl. “What? What is it?” I asked as the girl clearly dramatized her actions. “Th-That chill earlier...I think it might be…” She said as her frightened eyes desperately searched the room for an answer. “A ghost!” She pointed towards the ceiling above us. Despite the obvious lie, I humored her, even turning around for that added dramatic effect. I looked up, and, of course, the ceiling had nothing particularly odd about it. With my back turned, Hirasawa took her chance to move in. “Boo!” she shouted in my ear. “Aaaah.” I let out sarcastically. “Aw, man…You were supposed to be scared!” she said, disappointed at the ineffectiveness of her simple plan. “What are you doing, Hirasawa?” I asked as I turned around to her, seemingly with visual annoyance given how she was slightly taken aback. “Haunted houses are no fun if neither of us are scared!” She said as she sheepishly twiddled her thumbs. “Hard to do that when it's like this though.” I said, literally pulling back the curtains on a cheap mist machine. “Yeah, this place is a total bust. Let’s just get out of here.”

And so, we did. We emerged from the other exit of the ‘haunted’ house, with the masked girl from earlier giving us a wave as she was complaining to someone about how the room’s air conditioner was off the fritz again. “I guess we’ve had our share of fun now. Wanna head back?” I asked Hirasawa as she observed the third-years go about their day. “Yeah, okay!” she said, turning to face me. The day was still young, but I figured we should all experience the rest of it together. The more time I spend with just Hirasawa, the more nervous I grow. I can’t seem to figure out why that is, either. Maybe it’s just her simple-minded nature rubbing off on me, since no one else is here to balance that out.

As we headed back to our clubroom, the halls became a bit more empty, and time seemed to slow down in this somewhat surreal feeling environment. It really did feel like the crossroads between two worlds as we stepped out of the one festival area and back into where we belonged. As the scene grew quieter, I felt an urge overcome me. Rather, a burning question, one that I’ve had since earlier today. “Hey, Hirasawa, can I ask you something?” I said, stopping in my tracks. “What’s up, Le-Le?” Hirasawa said, stopping in the gaze of the sunlight that had filtered through the window. “What you said about me earlier today...was it true?” I said, feeling my face turn red at the idea of even saying such saccharine things. “Um, what did I say again…?” Hirasawa looked at me in understandable confusion. “Was this about wishing you were more of a scaredy-cat?”

“Huh?” I said, perplexed at the girl’s random assumption. “No, not that.” My fingers swept about my hair, prying my brain for the proper words to say. “When you said…” I massage my neck, as if to force out the words that were otherwise lodged thoroughly in my throat. “..that you were glad to meet me…” I said with a cough, as if to obfusticate my own words. Hirasawa looked at me in a stunned silence, no doubt taken aback by me being so sentimental. But that stunned look morphed into a soft smile. The sort I’d first seen when I gifted her Kusaki-kun. Her movements suddenly became more poised and methodical, not like the Hirasawa I normally knew. But maybe she was always that way? Or am I just looking at her differently than normal? Whatever the case, our eyes met in a way that felt different somehow. There was this sort of...fire, a strange understanding between the two of us. It was as if, for a moment, and despite all our differences, I’d met my twin flame.

“Of course it was true.” she said slowly, as if to make sure I made no mistake in how I interpreted her words. “I’m really, really glad I met you, Leo.” My breath stopped for a moment, this must have been the first time she’s called me ‘Leo’ since we first truly became friends. “All the people I’ve met, all the people I get to cherish…All the memories I hold...” she held her hand to her heart, before slowly bringing that hand outward to share her feelings with me. “I’m glad you get to experience it all with me. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” She said, her smile putting her pearly whites on full display. I could see my reflection in those honest eyes of hers, when did I start smiling, again? I don’t know, but I think that’s okay. I’m not sure how this girl does it. How do such simple words leave me breathless and wordless?

I could only nod, unsure of how I could top her words with my own. “Let’s head back, now.” I said, acknowledging the need to move on with the day. “Okay!” she said, moving near me, causing a switch in my head to flip. “But...let’s take the long way back.” I said, selfishly wanting this brief moment in time to last just a little longer.  
You know? Cold mornings don’t seem so bad anymore.


	12. Good Tidings We Bring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo has a proper Christmas for the first time with the Light Music Club, he has his share of reservations regarding it.

It’s been five days since the Winter Festival on December 20th. You know what that means? Christmas. As I didn’t exactly grow up in the environment for it, Christmas was always something that left a bitter taste in my mouth. All the jolly commercials, the food, the lights and displays, I wasn't a fan. Most of all, I hated coming back to school afterwards, what with all the other kids talking about what they got for Christmas and myself being left out for obvious reasons. Eventually, I got labeled "The Grinch", because I didn’t like Christmas and I was green with envy. For a bunch of middle schoolers, that was an unsparingly clever nickname. I hated the name at first, but eventually embraced it.

Despite all of that, though, Hirasawa insisted that I celebrate Christmas with her and the rest of the Light Music Club. I couldn’t exactly reject, since this party also serves as a celebration of our performance at the Winter Festival, and I’d just be called a NEET by everyone if I didn’t go. So here I am, standing at the front door of the Hirasawa household in the early hours of the morning. I took my time before hitting the doorbell, making sure my hair was straight and my clothes spotless. As I did so, I tapped my shoes against the ground to shake off any snow that may have stuck to it. It is the middle of winter, but this was the first White Christmas I’d seen in a long time. I sighed, calming my nerves. “Alright.” I said,

Ding-dong! 

A few moments later, the door opened. “Ah, hello!” said…someone as they emerged from within their warm house. ”Um, Hirasawa…?” I examined the girl. “Yes, is something the matter?” All her facial features were the same, but...did I get taller overnight or something? And that’s not how Hirasawa normally talks…”Hey, don’t take this the wrong way, but did you shrink?” I said as I further observed the girl, who understandably gave me a look of concern. Her hair was different too. Was it shorter, or did she tie it..”G’uh!” I let out as my breath stopped, my cheeks flush as I observed the heavenly sight. “P-puh-ponyta…” I could hardly parse the words as my stream of breath paused and unpaused. Ponytails, my kryptonite, my mortal enemy, my one true passion. I don’t know when it clicked, but one day, I found myself utterly enamored by their overpowering glow, and I’ve been unable to escape their gravitational pull ever since.

"Huh…?" Hirasawa stared in confusion. "Oh! You like my ponytail?" She said, pulling it to the side so I could examine it in more detail. My mouth was dry, but I wiped it anyway just to make sure I wasn't drooling at the sight. "Mhm-hm!" I said, sparks flying through me as my normal self was overtaken by primal urges. "Trying something new, Hirasawa?” I said as my head moved side to side, approvingly nodding. “Hm? No, my hair is always like this.” Hirasawa said, looking at me in confusion. “You sure are a strange one.” she laughed. “But I think I can see why sis likes you.” Wait, what? “Huh?” I confusedly said as her ponytail drooped naturally once more. “Sis?” I said, before it all clicked. “OH! You must be…” I paused, struggled to remember the girl’s name. “Ui. Ui Hirasawa.” The girl said, wiping her hands on her red apron as she identified herself. “My sister’s told me a lot about you, Mister Katnua." she said. Her formality only just struck me as she said that. 'Mister'? Not sure I like the sound of that. I'm sure she's just being respectful, but that makes me sound like some kind of old man. "Just 'Leo' is fine." I said, putting up a hand to guard my youth. "Oh. Alright!" she said with a smile.

"Still, it's nice to finally meet the Big Bad Boy of Sakuragaoka!" she said, doing a pose with her upper body hunched over that made her look like some kind of enemy straight out of Dragon Quest. "P-people are calling me that…?" I asked, completely confused. I went by a number of unpleasant names amongst the student body, but that was a new one.

"Yeah! See, people who have been thinking about going to Sakuragaoka have heard a lot about you…" she said enthusiastically, before stopping to look back inside of her residency. "Actually, why don't we continue this conversation over some tea?" she looked back to me with an inviting gesture. I paused for a moment, my organs ceasing operation for a brief period. I came here to celebrate Christmas with everyone anyway, but actually being invited into Hirasawa's house made me kind of nervous. As I looked into the doorway, the warm glow repelled my foreign darkness. 

"Y-yeah, okay…" I forced out, so as to not worry the girl.

Thus, we found ourselves back in the home of the Hirasawas. Despite bringing some snacks and tea with me, Ui insisted that she heat some up herself, leaving me at my lonesome in their living room as she remained in the kitchen to prepare it. As she did so, I took the opportunity to gauge the surroundings of my deskmate's house. The normalcy of it all erased any crazy ideas I may have once had about what Hirasawa's living situation may have been like, and I was unable to trace the origins of where those ideas even sprouted from as I observed the furnishing. Mundane couch, mundane television, mundane rug, mundane table. Everything was mundane, but I guess they were content with it this way. The only things that stood out to me were the festive streamers strewn about the place, as well as the Christmas tree with an angel on top. But I imagine those things are also normal at this time of year. Despite my earlier problems accepting Ui's invitation, I was pretty comfortable here. The air of it all, the feeling, was new to me. Is this what normal family households are like? I'd like to have one of these if that's really the case. 

"It's ready!" Ui said as she emerged from the kitchen, carrying a tray holding tea for the two of us. Her prim, firm body language told me that she seemed to do this regularly. 

"Thanks a lot." I said as our cups clanked onto the table. As she sat, I took a sip from the cup that laid before me. At the end of the day, it was basic green tea, but it was brewed with an exact precision that told me that she seemed to enjoy doing this regularly too. "So," I said, placing my palm over the drink so my brain could shift gears. "Could you tell me more about this nickname of mine?" I said, sweat dropping at my reputation extending even outside of the school. 

“Oh, right.” Said Ui as she straightened her back. “You see, people in my middle school learned about you because they have siblings and stuff who go to Sakuragaoka, and those students talk about you to their family and friends.” She said as she shifted about on her pillow, giving a visual demonstration with her hands.

“I follow so far.” I said as my eyes watched her hands for any extra details.

“Once rumor about you got out, word started to spread like wildfire around the student body. Most didn’t believe it at first, but…” Ui said, her face contorting into an awkward half-smile as she recalled more and more of what she was telling me. 

“But?” I asked, confused. 

“Leo, have you ever felt like you’re being watched?” Ui asked with a look of concern. 

“Yeah, all the time. Wouldn’t that be normal for someone like me, though?” I said, Ui waving her hands.

“Let me rephrase that, actually. Do you get the feeling you’re being watched, even while you’re sleeping?” She said, that last word sending a distinct chill up my spine. This living room was the safest place in the world, so where is this sudden uneasiness slipping in from? 

“Um, no…?” I said, weak and confused. 

“Yes, I suppose that only makes sense…” Ui said, she averted my pathetic gaze for a moment, before turning back to me. “Well, you see, people have been taking pictures of you...while you slept in class.” My smile went crooked at her words. While I...slept? I thought about various other insidious acts that could have transpired in my state of unconsciousness as seeds of paranoia were sewn into me. “Ugh...that’s unpleasant to think about.” I said, rubbing my head of its dark thoughts. “How did no one think to tip me off about this?" I asked myself.

“Wait, you mentioned your sister talking about me earlier, too.” I said, treading possibly sensitive ground with reckless abandon. “What types of things does she say?” I asked, moving in closer to the little sister. “Hmm...Lemme think…” Ui said, bringing a finger to her lip. “She says you’re really mean, and you’re selfish because you don’t like sharing snacks with her. And that you also seem like a freeloader for the club!” A rush of green liquid nearly escaped my mouth as I stopped most of it from spilling over, wiping off what did come out with my sleeve. "Okay, that first part sounds like her. But 'freeloader'!? She's as much a slacker as I am! And at least I actually work while we're in class...most of the time, apparently." I said, my hands slamming against the table in slight outrage, nearly knocking over its furnishings in the process. “...Anything else?” I said as a migraine began to envelop my head. “I was joking about the freeloader part, I’m not sure if Yui knows what that word means.” Said Ui. Surprisingly harsh, but probably true words. “But she did say you’re fun to mess with!” she giggled. “And that’s definitely true!” She said as her big eyes that look exactly like her sister’s bobbed up and down as she nodded in agreement with her sister’s words. “Agh, is the rest of your family like this too? Is it a genetics thing, or something?” I said, her simple ruse forcing me to rub my temples. “Probably!” she laughed in agreement. 

“By the way, where is your sister, anyway?” I asked. “Well, sis and mornings don’t exactly have the best chemistry, so…” Ui said as she giggled awkwardly. “Mhm.” I grunted, recalling Hirasawa’s spotless last-second attendance record. “Normally, I’d have her wake up around this time. But since today is a holiday, I thought that it wouldn’t hurt to let her sleep in.” she said, somewhat embarrassed, probably at how she spoils her. “Y’know, if you just had her wake up on her own, she could teach herself. You wouldn’t have to keep doing that, then.” I said, rocking my now empty cup back and forth. “Yes, well…” her hands arched together as her face brightened. “I’ve done this for so long, now. It’s second nature at this point.” I looked at her, unsure whether I was amazed or stupefied. “Are you sure you’re her sister and not her mother…?” I asked. “I get that a lot, haha…” She said with a defeated chuckle.

“But, wait a second...Why did you arrive so early, Leo? The party won’t start for at least another few hours.” Ui asked, her eyes agog. “Um…” I thought momentarily. “That’s because…” I said as I wound up with no real answer. I suppose I just arrived early because I…”Grrr…” I growled under my breath at the realization. Damn you, Tainaka. I came here because I really don’t have a life outside of school and the girls. I really need some more friends, man. “I came here because, um…” I stupidly repeated, scanning the room for something that might help me out of admitting the truth. My eyes rested on Ui’s apron. “I, uh, thought I should help you out with cooking…!” Ui could only tilt her head at my out-of-nowhere suggestion. “Huh?” she said blankly, a perfectly valid response. “Yeah!” I said, confident now that the pieces of my lying fell into place. “Um, see, when your sister told me about the party, she said you would be doing all the cooking. I thought that it was ridiculous, leaving all that work to one person. So I figured that I’d come over to help.” I nodded, as if to convince myself that my words were driven purely by altruism.

“Oh, aren’t you sweet?” said Ui. “I really could use the help, and I’ve heard good things about your cooking from my sister, while you all were on vacation.” she said as she arose from her seat, retying the back of her apron. I guess Hirasawa must’ve thought of our training camp as vacation, then. Can’t say I blame her. “She said you’re reliable, too.” Ui continued. “Wait, she did?” I paused, Hirasawa’s called me a lot of things, but I’ve never heard that one before. “Maybe.” Ui said teasingly, giving me a goading wink as she headed towards the kitchen. I followed, massaging my stiffened neck. What a pain, these girls are…

And so, we cooked for what felt like a brief moment of time despite all the things we’d gotten done. It was relaxing, in a way. I’d learned this over our ‘training camp’, but cooking for others is definitely more fulfilling than cooking for yourself. You really get to test yourself, and prove your worth as a chef. Ui and I exchanged words, learning more about each other in between our various tasks. I told Ui about some of my past, of which she was mostly filled in thanks to Hirasawa talking about it. She told me about herself, how she often did much of the chores and cooking around the house when her lovebird parents were away, which was a lot of the time. I felt kind of bad that she was stuck with such a lazy sibling, but Ui didn’t seem to mind, saying that this is how she preferred it. I don’t really get it, but I suppose I’m not one to judge. She also told me how she planned on going to Sakuragaoka with her sister next year. I wouldn’t mind that at all. Ui was an all-around pleasant girl to be around. Smart, too. Outside of their looks, she was so different from her sister that I wondered how they possibly could have come from similar seeds.

I wiped my forehead, internally praising myself on a job well done on the fresh batch of home-made fried chicken that stood before me. Apparently, fried chicken is seen as a must in Japan during Christmas for most families, people even go so far as to back-order from places like KFC to ensure that they have enough for their festivities. “Hm…” I hummed to myself as I looked over to Ui, who had just finished making a cake. “Great job, it looks good.” I said, complimenting the girl as I wiped the grease off my hands. “Oh, thank you.” she said as she set out a tray of fresh strawberries. “Hopefully this will be enough for everyone.” Ui said, slight exhaustion slipping from her voice. “I wouldn’t worry too much about that.” I said, wanting to reassure her. “Ui…!” said a familiar voice that came closer and closer. “Oh, just in time.” Ui said, eagerly looking out the kitchen’s doorway.

“Hey, Ui...and Le-Le?!” said an awakened Hirasawa, shocked at my presence. “Uh, hi…” I said with an awkward wave. “What’re ya doin’ here, anyway?” she said, flapping her arms about as she moved around the kitchen to find what was on today’s menu. “Oh, he came quite early to help me out with cooking. See?” said Ui, gesturing to the fried chicken I’d just made. “Did our hostess also forget we were having a party today?” I said, pocketing my hands as I leaned against the counter. “Oh, right!” Hirasawa said, shaking her fist as she remembered. “Ui, is everything ready?!” she said. She’s really just gonna leave all the heavy lifting to the younger sibling, huh? “Almost, we just need to do one very important thing.” Ui said with a smile, bringing the strawberries over to Hirasawa. “Will you do the honors, Yui?” At Ui's words, Hirasawa's eyes lit up in excitement. "Can I really?!" I squinted my eyes at Ui's blatantly forced act that allowed her sister to get involved. "Of course." said Ui.

Carefully and slowly, Hirasawa crowned the cake with several strawberries, lining its edges in red. “There!” Hirasawa said, catching her breath as if that took her effort. “It’s done!” she said, marvelling over the now decorated cake. It looked nice enough, I suppose. “Good job, sis.” said Ui, giving her sister a modest clap, which Hirasawa was happy to receive. “Ui, you really gotta stop babying her like that.” I sighed, covering the chicken with tin foil. “Huh?” Hirasawa stammered, completely motionless. “What?” I asked. “You called her Ui!” Hirasawa said, her silence turning into tempered fury. “So?” I said in confusion. “That’s not fair, Le-Le! You’ve only known Ui for barely a day, but you already call her by her first name!” she said, stomping in frustration as her cheeks puffed up. “Well, duh. I can’t address both of you as Hirasawa. That’d just be confusing.” I said, knowing full well why Hirasawa was actually upset. “Just call me Yui, then!” she said, zeroing in the issue at hand. “Whatever…” I said, looking away with a whistle.  
All Hirasawa could do is groan at my non-compliance.

Ding-dong!

Ah, saved by the doorbell. “Oh!” Hirasawa said as she booked it towards the door, pretty much completely forgetting about our conversation in the process. We followed her as she was already greeting the guest in question, Nodoka. “Punctual as always.” Ui said, greeting her guest with a bow. “Merry Christmas, Nodoka!” said Hirasawa, hugging her friend as she brought her to the toasty interior of her home. “Merry Christmas, Yui, Ui, and…” she said as she reciprocated her friend’s hug and gave warm looks to the Hirasawa sisters. “Oh! Leo, Merry Christmas to you too.” she said, adjusting her glasses onto me. “Huh? Uh, yeah...Merry Christmas.” I said, feeling sick as I said those words. I’m pretty sure I’m just allergic to the Holiday Spirit at this point. “Everyone else should be here fairly soon. Why don’t we get the table and our gifts set up in the meantime?” suggested Nodoka. "Yes, let's. Leo, do you mind helping me set the table?" said Ui as she removed her apron and placed it on a rack near the kitchen doorway. "Alright." I said, following her into the kitchen.

Before long, the table was set up. The warm food and the cake we'd prepared sat atop a festive, snow white table covering, as well as some drinks. As Nodoka and Hirasawa chatted away about the weather near said table, I wondered if we even had enough space to accommodate everyone. Meh, we’ll figure it out. I looked to the Christmas tree, now alight in a rainbow of colors, illuminating the corner of the room, as well as the presents that sat beneath it. It was the first time I’d seen one so up close before, I think. But it was most certainly the time I’d used it as was intended, tucking my gift box that had been wrapped in a bright red in the corner. The contents of it remained a mystery, as did everyone else’s, such were the rules of Secret Santa. “Huh? That’s weird.” said Ui, checking beneath the tree to ensure everything was in order. “What is?” said Nodoka, bobbing her head over to the conundrum in question. “There’s six gifts under here.” she said, pulling a sixth boss. “Strange. Aren’t there only five of us?” I said, internally counting those present in the room. “Maybe someone’s just feeling really generous today!” said Hirasawa, throwing her arms behind her head.

“Maybe…” Ui said, turning her attention to the name tag on the box. “Oh.” she said softly, before smiling and putting the box back down. “What is it?” I asked, curious about her sudden calm. “A surprise!” she said, moving back over to the table and taking a seat parallel to her sister. I could only loosely consider what that even meant. This whole thing was supposed to be a surprise, after. “Meh, if you say so.” I said with a shrug of indifference. “Hmm…” Nodoka purred, looking over to Hirasawa with clairvoyant eyes. “W-What is it?” Ui said, her cheeks rosy. “Is something on my face?” she said, rubbing across her lips to get nothing off of it. “No.” Nodoka stated simply, her face telling me her thoughts were in an entirely separate ballpark. 

Ding-dong!

“Ah, that must be everyone else!” Hirasawa said, heading towards the door with an excited look. The rest of us stayed put, watching her as she skipped towards the door in Christmas glee. “Say, Ui, I know the rest of the club’s been here before. What was it like?” I asked. “Oh, yes. They’ve spent the night here twice before.” she said, holding up two fingers. “Usually, things are pretty quiet with just sis around. But when they’re all here, things are so much more rowdy and lively. It’s pretty fun, actually!” said Ui with an emphatic smile. “Guess that lot brings that sort of energy wherever they please, huh?” I said, resting my elbow on the table. “Uh-huh! It’s been having a really positive effect on sis, too!” Ui said as she nodded eagerly. “How do you figure?” I eyebrowed the girl. “Ever since she’s joined the club, little by little, Yui’s become a more determined person than ever!” said Ui, who was practically bobbing up and down as she recounted her sister’s progress. “She’s right. She’s still the same Yui I know, but the steps she’s making into becoming her own person are quite evident if you’ve known her long enough. Honestly, I’m starting to feel like she’s leaving me behind.” said Nodoka with a melancholic smile. I guess I haven’t known her for long enough to be able to tell, but I think I understand what they mean. Having these sorts of people around you can really help to make you want to give it your all.

The person of topic would soon return to the living room, bringing extra noise with her in town. “Hey, Merry Christmas!” said the three remaining members of the Light Music Club as they dispersed into the room, with their bags in tow. “Merry Christmas!” replied Nodoka and Ui as the girls took their seat. “Yo, Merry Christmas.” I said weakly and with a wave, the words were still foreign to my mouth. “C’mon, Leo! You gotta have a bit more energy than that!” Tainaka said, taking her seat next to me and patting me on the back several times over. “...You drunk on Holiday cheer already, Tainaka? And...not so close, okay?” I asked as I massaged my now beaten back and shuffled my legs for more breathing room. “Oh, don’t be like that, Leo! Come on, give it another try, okay?” said Mugi as she sat her gift under the tree. “You too?” I sighed. “Sorry to disappoint you all, but I told you that the Christmas spirit and I don’t exactly get along.” I shrugged, closing my eyes to shield my guilt from theirs. As my eyes were closed, I felt someone bring my arm upward, causing me to open them to uncover the perpetrator. “A-Akiyama, what are you doing?!” I said, looking at her in surprise. Akiyama wasn’t one to take initiative on these sorts of things, so color me shocked that she casually stood there with a smile on her face, my wrist wrapped in her fingers.

“Do it like this.” she said, balling my helpless fingers into a fist. “L-Like what?” I asked in confusion as the girl looked down at me with a look that practically forced me to play a lot. “Do like this!” She said, repeating a similar motion as she punched her arm up. “See?” her eyes looking down on me to verify my attention. “And when you do that you say “Merry Christmas!” at the top of your lungs, okay?” said Hirasawa, giving me another demonstration. I closed my eyes, folding my arms to think of a way out of this mess. Even though my eyes were closed, I could still feel everyone looking at me expectantly. Unfortunately for me, all exits were blocked off, and I was trapped. “Alright…” I said with a deep breath, my face red at the very thought of what I was about to do. I clenched my fist extremely tightly, suffocating my palm. I gripped the edge of the table, ensuring I wouldn’t lose balance. After a few seconds of pause, my fist pierced the calm air of the room in one strike, and at the top of my very lungs, I screamed “Merry Christmas!!” my voice and my pride cracking all at once.

The room fell silent for a moment, everyone’s expressions varying. I stood completely still, keeping the same stupid pose like some idiotic statue. “So, um…” I said, before being cut off by the eruptive laughter of Tainaka and Hirasawa. “Hahaha! “Merry Christmas!” he says!” Tainaka said, replicating my form. “Le-Le!” Hirasawa struggled to let out as her laughing continued to drown out anything resembling coherent thought. I couldn’t say or do anything other than sit down in embarrassment and silence. They'd gotten what they wanted out of me, and then some. Mugi covered up her face, her obvious trembling giving away the fact that she was holding in her own laughter. Akiyama gave an apologetic groan on my behalf. Meanwhile, Ui and Nodoka were both trying to calm down the two balls of fun and suffering.

“...Tch.” I scoffed, looking away as I tried to find wherever my remaining pride went. It couldn’t have gone far. “S-sorry…” Hirasawa said as her laughter began to die down, wiping a tear, no doubt one of joy, from the corner of her eye. “You’re not mad, are you?” she asked, a slight hint of seriousness in her voice. What a stupid question. Who wouldn’t be pissed off because people were laughing at their expense? Despite my definitive ‘yes’ to her question, I could only let out an angry “Hmph…” as my body once again betrayed my thoughts. It’s as if a part of me didn’t want to rain on her parade despite being fully deserving of that. The mind works in funny, horrible ways. “Anyway!” Tainaka said, wanting to move on and not showing a hint of remorse for the embarrassing thing she made me do. “Now that we’re all here, I believe it’s time we move on to our main event!” she said, grabbing a liter of cola from her bag and bringing it close to her, as if to embrace it. “A toast to our successful performance at the Winter Festival!” she said, gesturing to us to gather round.

We did just that, our cups full of sugary, carbonated soda. Tainaka stood up, her legs straightened with pride. “Well, everyone! We did it!” she shifted her cup around, her arm flying over each of us as we remained seated. “We’ve gone through lots of trials and hardships to get to this point. And to be honest, I’d felt like giving up a lot of the time.” Tainaka said, clutching her chest as if to keep some of her feelings in check. “Oh yeah, we know.” said Akiyama, annoyed, yet pleasantly familial look about her. Tainaka could only stick her tongue out in sheepish admittance of her past transgressions. She’s got her own set of issues, but it’s strange to think that none of this would have ever happened if one girl didn’t recklessly follow that tingling feeling she had once. “But I’d just like to say, thanks to everyone in here for sticking with me the whole way through. I mean that. Each and every one of you is a vital part in our group, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Tainaka continued. Her oddly saccharine words didn’t bother me that much, surprisingly. Maybe it’s just because this more honest, emotional side of Tainaka is just so rare. “Here’s to the Light Music Club!” Tainaka said, lowering herself to our level, and raising her drink. “Let’s keep going higher and higher, alright?!” 

“I’ll drink to that.” I said, raising my drink to meet hers; everyone else following my lead. “Cheers!” we shouted, a papery thump providing our backdrop. 

The party continued, with the girls having their usual chatter that I, as a male, could not hope to follow. “Ah.” I said, feeling a sudden weight near my nether regions. After only a single cup? “Hey, where’s the restroom?” I asked, tapping Ui on the shoulder in visible impatience. “Oh. It’s right down that hall.” Ui said, pointing to the wing of the house that I had yet to traverse, featuring a narrow hallway and a stairway that I assume led to their parents’ room. My eyes felt strained just looking up there, where I dare not even try to venture. "Thanks." I said, getting up and leaving the table to explore parts unknown.

In the narrow corridor, I was met with two doors. One to the front of me, and one to the left. The left was obviously my destination, being the bathroom. But the one in front of me had a curious sign that caught my attention. “Yui’s Room” said the colorful, bubbly sign hanging off a thumbtack embedded in the wooden door. I cringed at the very thought of entering her room. Yet, despite that, my curiosity would not be satiated otherwise. As I approached her room, I felt something breathe down the back of my neck, and slung my head back. “I-I wasn’t doing anything…!” I shouted as I turned around, speaking only to the vacant air. 

“Just guilt…” I sighed as I rubbed my still shivered neck. ‘Why am I even doing this?’ I thought as my hand reached for the doorknob. If someone were to suspect me of something suspicious, or god forbid, actually catch me, I shudder to think what may end up happening. As my hand wrapped around the warm doorknob, I took one more long look over my shoulder, my ears perking open at the echo of the girls chatting away in the living. “Do or die, Leo.” I softly said to myself. I slowly twisted the doorknob clockwise, pushing the door open slowly with a quiet hum that multiplied my paranoia. My head swooped into the crack as it grew large enough; sweat rolling down the side of my face as my senses were now left totally defenseless. I kept the rest of my body outside the doorway, however, should I need to make a swift escape.

Hirasawa’s room was that of a regular teenage girl, at least, based on what I know about teenage girls. It was surprisingly well-kept, despite how much of a layabout she is. Was it so nice-looking because of Ui? I wonder… In any case, the room was strewn about with things you’d expect of a Japanese teenage girl, a book shelf overflowing with various mangas and pop singles, as well as study books that were left neglected with dust. It had a girly air about it, which was more like repellant to me. On her table were some unfinished snacks, and opened notebooks with unfinished scribblings that I couldn’t parse from here. 

“Oh.” I said, watching Gita neatly hung up on the corner. It, he?, stuck out quite a lot, now that I look at it more closely. I could see my own suspicious-looking face reflected off its pristine and well-kept surface. Hirasawa must tend to that thing an awful lot, she’d be at the top of our class if she looked into her studies as much as that. “Ah!” I gasped at the sight of greenery hanging near the window. “Is...Is that Kusaki-kun?!” I said, looking at the familiar plant as its still browned soil now housed several large pink petals protracting outward as it seemed to have fully embraced the environment it now found itself in. Sheesh, she didn’t just take care of it, she completely spoiled it. “I’ll have to thank her later for that...But then she’d know I took a peek in here…” I sighed. “Well, I’ve seen enough.” My head exited the room, and my thoughts were left inside it. Why did I do that, again? Well, whatever. I didn’t get caught, and I learned a few things. No harm done, right?

I walked back into the living room, retaking my seat as if nothing occurred. Seems my presence, or lack thereof, went unnoticed. “Oh, Leo’s back.” said Nodoka, evidently pointing out that I thought too soon. “That means we can begin.” she continued. “Begin what?” I asked, at a loss. Nodoka would then shift to her side, bringing up a bright red box wrapped in an equally festive green ribbon. "Secret Santa, of course!" she said, her eyes harmonizing with the glittered packaging. "Ah, yes. The time-honored tradition of Secret Santa…" Tainaka began, folding her arms as she entered a zen-like state. "Being naughty or nice doesn't matter in this unjust game. Whether you end up with a bounty of gold or a sack of coal is all up to whether the winds of fortune blow in your favor or not." she outstretched her arms, a somehow visible purple aura overtaking the room. Am I the only one seeing this? Did I eat something funny today?

"Leo!" Tainaka dramatically called upon me, pointing her finger towards my cranium as she rocketed up from her seat. The sudden act startled me. "Y-Yeah?" I asked. "You've never partaken in this joyous occasion, have you?" she said with a smug smile. That is still Tainaka under all of that acting, I guess. “No, and why are you talking like that?” I asked, still compelled to know if the Christmas Spirit decided to use her body as a host in order to speak with me. “Then I elect that you go first!” I frowned at her sudden demand, "Why me? I haven't done this before, so I wanted to watch someone else first so I could know how to do it." I said, waving a hand to flag her down. Tainaka's stance grew more authoritative as she placed her hands on her hips. "All the more reason, then! Learn by doing!" Tainaka said with a stomp, taking her seat afterward.

"Fine, fine." I sighed. How hard could this be? It might be my first time doing this, but it's just giving a gift to someone. "Akiyama," I said, dragging my present from beneath the table. Akiyama's eyes widened in surprise, she caught on quickly. "Hm?" she asked in dull surprise, as if to hide the fact that she knew what was happening here. "Um, Merry...Christmas." I gagged, dragging my box over to her. "You can be kind of cute sometimes, Leo." teased Tainaka as she poked at my side. "Don't mock me." I said, swatting away her hand. "Ah!" Akiyama shouted, as if to regain our attention. "Thank you!" she said, short of breath as she carefully tore off the gift wrapping, not wanting to make a mess. "This is…!" Akiyama could not parse the right words as she held the contents of what she'd unwrapped.

"A book?" Tainaka asked in confusion, unimpressed. "That's definitely a Mio kind of gift." Said Nodoka, shooting a look of approval towards me. "What's so special about it, though?" asked Hirasawa, moving over to get a better look at the seemingly innocuous item. "This is Johanna Lindsey's 'Joining'! And it's an original print, too! This is incredibly rare…" Akiyama said, quickly sifting through the pages of the book. "Not a scratch to be found, either…" she said, gently moving her hand across the surface of a page. "Leo, where did you even get this?" Akiyama asked, looking at me with a smile that was equal parts grateful and astonished. 

"Actually, I found it on total accident." I said, scratching the back of my neck. "See, my apartment's DVD Player was having some problems one day, so I went to the local thrift shop to see if I could snag a replacement…" I said, my eyes looking at the book as I recounted my encounter with it. "And, well...There it was, I guess. I got pretty lucky, I suppose." I said with a modest shrug. "A gift from the thrift store? How exotic!" Mugi said excitedly. "More like how cheap, if you ask me." Said Tainaka, looking at me with eyes of disdain. "Grrr…" I could only growl at Tainaka's comment. She wasn't wrong. Really, I was rather relieved when I found that I would be picking a gift out for Akiyama. While she's perhaps less easy to read than the other members of the Light Music Club, I felt the difference between her and everyone else is that she probably kept her expectations rather modest. Akiyama enthusiastically flipped through the pages again, seemingly not struggling with the English text. "Well, it's the thought that counts, right?" Nodoka said, coming to my aid despite Tainaka's comment being pretty much accurate. "Yep!" Hirasawa happily agreed. "Who's next?" she added.

"Actually…!" Akiyama spoke up. "I was Leo's Secret Santa this year, too." she said, pulling out her gift onto the table. "Huh?" I said in confusion. I've never done secret santa, but for some reason I thought this sort of thing was against the rules. Guess not. The gift she handed me was roughly of similar volume to the one I'd given her. As I picked it up and held it, I wonder what it could have been. Rockman EXE 6 did release just last month, and Akiyama knows I like video games. Maybe she was a doll and bought the other version of that game for me? 'Only one way to find out.' I thought as I slowly tore off the carefully put together packaging.

I quickly realized that the gift in question was not that as more of its somehow familiar picture became visible. "Escape." I said, reading the familiar title in dull surprise. "Huh?" Hirasawa asked in confusion. I tore off the rest of the package then and there. As the book revealed itself, its apparent heft became clear to me. How could I have even mistaken this for a video game? "Hey, I recognize that!" Tainaka said, "You were reading that a few months ago, weren't you? Don't tell me you're just giving it away, now?" she said, lying her head down on the table. “No, nothing like that.” said Akiyama. “That’s actually a brand new copy.” she said, pointing to the label on the book. I couldn’t read the kanji, judging by its showy golden emblazonment, I think it said ‘Best Seller’ or something to that effect. “Wouldja look at that…” I said, looking at the book, eyes greyed with no enthusiasm.

"If you don't mind my asking, what…" I paused, searching for an appropriate but not rude comment "...'inspired' you to give me this?" I asked, flipping through the book's pages to pretend to care about it. "Do you remember when we were at Training Camp, and you came to me, asking about what book I was reading?" said Akiyama, innocently recalling the incident where she and Tainaka fought and myself and Mugi had to mend the issue. "Uh-huh…" I nodded. "Well, you seemed really interested in it...So I thought you might like it, ahaha…" explained Akiyama with a shy look. "Ah, I see…" I said, looking down at the book once more.

"Thanks." I said, trying my best to hide my utter apathy towards the gift. I only feigned interest in it so I could get her and Tainaka to make up. For such a smart girl, boy, does she seem to have difficulty reading people. Still, there was at least thought put into the gift, so the least I could do is read it for her sake. I squinted my eyes at once the heft of the book was made clear to me again. How long is this gonna take to get through, I wonder. "You're very welcome!" said Akiyama, giving me a smile that I found hard not to reciprocate. "S-So…" I said, feeling flustered and wanting eyes off me. "Who's next?"

"I'll go!" said Tainaka, eagerly putting her gift box on the table. "Nodoka! Merry Christmas!" she said excitedly, bunting the box across the table as it miraculously dodged the food and furnishments that sat atop it. "Careful, Ritsu!" yelled Akiyama as she chastised the tomboy for her recklessness. "Open it! Open it!" said Tainaka as Akiyama's words went in one ear and out the other. "Alright, then…" said Nodoka as she carefully unwrapped her gift and removed its contents. 

“Byoing!” went the jack-in-a-box as it suddenly jumped out of its home to meet Nodoka face-to-face. Despite the rather loud noise it made, Nodoka stood cool as a cucumber. Meanwhile, Akiyama was frightened quite harshly at the simple trick, holding Hirasawa’s shoulder as she stood behind her for protection. “Lame.” I said, looking at the jack-in-the-box as it weighed around inside its small space. “How cliche.” said Hirasawa, folding her arms as her eyes lacked any enthusiasm towards the show. “You were supposed to be scared…” said Tainaka, her voice dulling out as her upper body slacked over in disappointment. Nodoka took the jack-in-the-box by the head and forced it back inside the back, winding up its toy once more so it could pop out again.

"Byoing!" it went once more, getting a chuckle out of Nodoka. "Heh, I could use this." she said, her malevolent prankster mind reflecting off the rim of her glasses. "Thanks, I like it." said Nodoka, shocking everyone in the room. "R-Really?" Tainaka asked with a look that told me she thought her gift would bomb. "Mm-hmm." Nodoka said, repeating the box's motions once more, chuckling as she did so. "Wonder what kind of tricks she'll play…?" I thought aloud as my eyes squinted. Nodoka doesn't show it outwardly, so this is just a hunch on my part, but I get the feeling she's hiding some kind of sadistic side to her. I mean, why else would she keep it? "Maybe she'll use it for Student Council errands?" Mugi speculated, tilting her head at a loss. "What kind of weird errands would need that?" asked Akiyama, to which Mugi could only reply with a vacant shrug.

"Well, Ritsu, since you went all this way, I believe it's time for me to give you your gift…" Nodoka said, setting the jack-in-the-box aside as her own gift was set on the table. It had the same volume as the gifts Akiyama and I exchanged, and we immediately became toward at Tainaka's future reaction. "Ooh, gimme, gimme!" Tainaka said with a mile-wide smirk as her fingers wiggled with joy. Slowly and gracefully, Nodoka would slide her gift over with an unreadable smile. Tainaka tore into her gift, decorating the floor around her with the uneven gift wrap shreddings in the process. 

Gone was Tainaka’s initial look of glee, replaced by one that instead quickly went through each stage of grief. “Okay, okay. Sorry for the bad joke.” said Tainaka, lying her gift down. It was an English-teaching book, quite a hefty looking one too. “Now, where’s my real gift?” she said as sweat raced down that big forehead of hers. “Oh, so we’re still at Denial.” I said as I drank the last bit of Coke. “What was that?” Tainaka asked, annoyed. “Nothing.” I said back. 

“Sorry, but this isn’t a joke.” said Nodoka as she sternly lifted her glasses. “I heard from Yui about how you’d nearly gone and flunked your midterm like her. I care greatly about this club’s future, so I can’t rest easy knowing that one of you could flunk a test at any moment and jeopardize everything again.” 

“Wait, but clubs only need four people to be acknowledged, right?!” said Tainaka as she skipped Anger and went straight to Bargaining. “Even if I were to flunk midterms, we could still operate until I pass, right?!” Tainaka shouted again as her fists slammed against the table, shaking everything that stood atop it. Nodoka stood calmly, as she always did. Clearing her throat, she said “That may be the case, but can you really trust Yui to not flunk too?” she asked, brushing her hair aside in a despotic manner. “Nodoka!” Hirasawa whined as she was effectively flung under the bus. “She’s just being realistic, Yui.” said Akiyama, putting a hand on the brunette’s shoulder. “It’s probably true, yes…” Mugi said, looking away so as to not see her friend’s deluged eyes. I’d joined them all after that whole debacle went down, but from the way they’ve described it to me, it seemed like a real headache trying to get that girl to study. “Yeah, this is probably for the best…” I said, looking down at the English text on Tainaka’s new ‘gift’. It’s funny to think that she struggles so much with what are just normal words to me. Though considering me and kanji, I’m not really one to talk.

“So, who’s next?” I asked, watching as the orange sunset began to bathe the living room in dusky citrus. Did time really fly that fast? Huh. “I’m next!” said the Hirasawa sisters in perfect sync. “Ah, wait, sis! Let me go first, you needed this, didn’t you?” argued Ui as she closed in on her sister, bringing her box to Hirasawa’s chest. “B-But, Ui…!” said Hirasawa, countering with a box of her own. “It’s the big sister’s job to provide for the little sister!” she said, retaliating with her own evidently strong feelings. "Just go at the same time." I said, sickened by the overwhelming sincerity of their bond. They looked at me, then back to each other, before finally nodding in agreement of my proposition. 

“I got you a new scarf!”  
“I got you a new mitten…!” said the girls simultaneously. “Ah, sibling love…” Mugi gushed at their show of affection. “Sure wish Satoshi were like that with me.” said Tainaka as she scratched her head. “Have they always been this way?” I asked, turning to Nodoka. “Mm-hmm. Even when they were little, they’ve always cared for each other this way.” Nodoka would look at the scene of the two warming each other up, Ui having tightly wrapped her new scarf around her neck and Hirasawa caressing her hand which had been outfitted with a homemade mitten. “There’s not much Yui wouldn’t do for her sister, and I’m sure you’ve already seen how Ui likes to treat her in kind.” Nodoka rested her head on her palm, smiling nostalgically at the two. 

“Must be nice.” I said as I looked on as the Hirasawa sisters embraced. Hirasawa’s a headache and a handful, but seeing the love she gave her sister made me feel equal parts happy and...kind of empty feeling. Maybe I’m just jealous that she grew up in such a cushy home. But with the love she gave her sister, and how everyone around her seems to adore her despite all her faults, it’s kind of a miracle that I get to be around her in the first place too. Yeah, I definitely don’t think I’d change a thing about her, even if I could.

“Oh, that just leaves Mugi…” said Akiyama, knocking the girl out of her strange trance. “But wait, everyone else has gotten a gift, haven’t they?” I asked, looking around the room as they all held up their gifts. “Ah, well, my Secret Santa hasn’t arrived quite yet…” she said, impatiently looking near the doorway. “It’s getting pretty late though, and besides that, who else was there to invite?” asked Tainaka.

“Ding-dong!” went the doorbell once again. “Guess we’ll find out.” I said as Hirasawa dashed towards the door to greet the unknown party. Mugi happily bounced about in her seat as her Secret Santa had arrived.

Hirasawa’s happy chirps at the door warped into confused wailing, prompting us all to run towards the distress signal. “Sis! Ah, who…?!” Ui shouted, making a mad dash to her sister’s side; the rest of us following behind her.

"M-Ms. Sawako…?!" said Akiyama as she approached our surprise guest. "Wh-What's wrong with her…?" Hirasawa reeled back in horror as obscure words and phrases escaped Sawako's mouth as she walked about the doorway in a zombie-like motion. "And...what's that terrible smell…?" Tainaka asked as she clenched her nose tightly. I took a few sniffs, and the sharp, almost rigid scent struck an unlucky chord within me. "She's drunk…" I said, holding my nose so the smell wouldn't just piss me off then and there. I approached Sawako further to get a better look at her face. She was pale as a ghost, and looked ready to pass out at any moment. "Hey, she's not feeling well, is there anywhere we could let her lie down for a while?" I asked.

As I asked that, Sawako suddenly made a mad dash for the bushes surrounding the Hirasawa residence. We followed outside to observe her, like watching some wild animal on safari. An unpleasant cascade of what I can only assume was Sawako's afternoon lunch came pouring out of her, spilling over into the bushes before her. Sawako gave one more rebellious groan before falling over spectacularly, the snow beneath her cushioning her fall. All of us were too dumbstruck to really say much of anything, so I elected to take the lead in that sense. "You know, if one of us were to take a picture of her like this, she'd be fired. And we'd never have to deal with this again." I said coldly.

"Just bring her inside." said Akiyama, lightly chopping the back of my head for my heinous suggestion. "Fine, fine." I moved in on the now unconscious teacher. If I were a touch more malicious, I'd probably just leave her out here to get frostbite or something. She should consider herself lucky. "Wonder what that was all about?" asked Nodoka as the rest of the girls walked back inside. "Love troubles, maybe?" Tainaka theorized. Their conversation became vague words as I could no longer make them out as they headed inside. Leaving me with my thoughts, the snow, and my surprisingly heavy, unconscious teacher. 

As I dragged Sawako by the heels, the cold crunch of the snow beneath us became apparent, creating a strangely calming backdrop to the utterly absurd situation I found myself in. It was night time, the moon and the falling snow against the black of night created a strangely hypnotic harmony that celebrated the day and all that it represented. Despite my reservations towards coming out today, I think I had...fun. “Need...Mugi’s gift…” said a surly and weak Sawako. “Put a sock in it.” I said as I brought her towards the door. “All that...rigging…” she said. Rigging? I guess that explains why our gifts were so conveniently aligned.

Sawako was brought inside and placed on the living room’s couch. She was more or less immobile outside of some pained groans. “I’ll call her a taxi.” said Ui nearing the house phone. “Is that it, then?” asked Tainaka, looking around the room with her gift in hand. “Huh, whaddya mean?” asked a confused Hirasawa. “I’m...not sure I’m comfortable partying with a half-dead person in the room.” said Akiyama, keeping her distance from a Sawako that was in her mind, teetering on life and death. “She’s just sick…” Hirasawa said, poking at the pale teacher. “That just means we should give her space.” I said. “But what about my-er, Mugi’s gift?” Hirasawa asked, nervously looking back and forth between the Christmas tree and us. “We can exchange our gifts at school. No need to worry.” Mugi reassured her with a smile. Despite that, Hirasawa still seemed uneasy about the proposition. 

“Welp…!” Tainaka said with some force as she stretched her arms. “We’ve had our share of fun for one day. We’ll head home now.” Tainaka said as she, Akiyama, and Mugi began to gather their things, as well as their gifts. “It is getting a bit late, anyway. We wouldn’t wanna worry our parents.” said Akiyama as she stacked some dishes for ease of cleaning. “Thank you for having us over! It was fun!” said Mugi with a bow. “Leo, you coming with?” asked Tainaka.

“Nah, I’ll stay for a little while and help clean up.” I said, a gasp coming from Hirasawa for some reason. “You guys head home. I’ll catch a train later.” I waved. “Alright then, ciao!” said Tainaka, putting her shoes on and waving, before finally exiting the Hirasawa household and ending their Christmas day.

Ui and I promptly cleaned up the household after their departure. Thankfully, it was a rather simple and clean affair since most of the partying was contained in the living room. In that time span, Sawako’s taxi also had come to pick her up. As we’d carried her out to the car, I wondered if she would have been able to make it to her front door on her own. Eh, she’ll be fine. In that time, Hirasawa did nothing but sit around, giving nervous looks to me and Ui. Seems like she wanted to say something, but couldn’t spit it out. I asked her what was wrong, but she insisted that it was nothing despite that clearly not being the case.

Once we wrapped up cleaning, I was preparing to head home. On my own, I was outside, walking as the softly falling snow erased my steps without a trace, as if today never happened. Despite that, though, the desperate breaths of a girl my age followed my invisible trail.

“Le-Le!” Hirasawa called out, frenzying to catch her lost breath, standing still in the snow. For some reason, I was kind of unsurprised that she chased me all the way out here. Maybe I’m just used to expecting the unexpected out of this girl. “Hirasawa...What are you doing here? It’s kind of freezing out here, so you should really head back outside.” I instructed her. Why did I even say that? I know she’s not gonna leave till she gets what she wants out of me. “I know, I just…” Hirasawa bashfully stared at the streetlight that illuminated us, and then watched as the light gently bounced off the powder white ground below. “Um, geez...This is harder than Ui said it would be…” Hirasawa said, her face contorting into one of frustration. Her face grew more and more frustrated, perhaps with herself more than anything. I wonder if the reddening of her face was caused by the snow or her own thoughts?

“Here!” she said, ripping off the band-aid on her thoughts and quickly showing me the present she’d hidden behind her back. The gift box was small, modest, even. “M-Merry Christmas, Le-Le!” she said, holding out the gift box so I could take it, no questions asked. “Um, thank you...Hirasawa. But, I don’t have anything to give to you, so…” I sheepishly explained as I turned away from her, unable to face her generosity with any of my own. “Stupid!” Hirasawa playfully said as she literally shoved the gift box onto me. “I’m not giving this to you because I want something from you. I’m giving this to you because...I want to give it to you!” she declared. My eyes widened before I smiled at the girl. Once again, Hirasawa’s undoubtedly simple logic proved to be the most effective. The way that she can just say these things with such confidence provided her with a sort of transparency that made absolutely all of her words seem genuine. 

“Yeah, alright…” I said, taking the gift from her warm mittens. “Thanks, Hirasawa.” I said simply. “I know you said that you wanted to give this to me, but I’d feel bad if I didn’t give you something, so I’ll make it up to you somehow.” I said, stamping my foot in the snow, as if to emphasize my promise to her. A short gasp came from Hirasawa, before a modest smile took its place. “Actually, you can make it up to me right now.” Hirasawa said. “How’s that?” I eyebrowed the girl. She didn’t say anything for a few moments, but I was okay with it. We both watched the snowfall for what felt like an eternity. This familiar feeling would then be interrupted as she finally happened upon an idea, or maybe she found the courage to state her request. “Say my name.” she said, grinning ear-to-ear. “Um, that’s all?” I said confusedly. Since we became friends, Hirasawa’s been kind of persistent about me calling her that. But I never would have guessed that it meant this much to her. Honestly, I feel kind of bad about it in hindsight. “That’s all.” she told me.

I couldn’t possibly turn down such a simple request. So I smacked my cheeks and took a deep breath as I prepared to unlearn that habit of mine, even if only momentarily.

“Yui.” I said to her. It took a moment for her to process her own name, as if she were surprised that I actually fulfilled this small request of hers. But I’m glad I did. In my time getting to know Hirasawa, she’s given me many faces and smiles that I’ve happily had burned into my memory, but this one was by far the brightest. It made even the street light that illuminated the two of us seem like it was defective. Her face cycled through many positive emotions, I couldn’t even keep track. But she landed on one of strange bravado, placing her hands on her hips. “Again!” she giggled. She was clearly having fun with this, but who am I to strip that away from her? “Yui.” I said again. She started laughing, but she was clearly not making fun of me. She seemed...happy. Relieved, even.

As her laughing settled, she wiped a tear from her eye. “I have one more request.” she said. “What’s that?” I asked. I didn’t feel as if calling her by her first name was really anything special to her, so I was willing to hear this out. “Call me Yui from now on, okay?” she said, closing both the figurative and literal gap between us. Our cold noses were practically touching at this point, yet I somehow remained unbothered by this. I sighed, my breath fogging up the cold. “Fine.” I laughed, “You win, Hira...Ah, Yui. I’ll do as you want.” 

The gap between us widened once more as we prepared to go our separate ways for the evening. “Good. Merry Christmas, Le-Le.” she smiled. “Merry Christmas…” I stopped, forcing my brain to correct myself. “...Yui.”

We went to our respective homes afterward. As I rode the train, I looked outside the window to the world I’d been missing out on for so long. The Christmas lights entangled the city I wound up considering home. But rather than contempt, I felt a warm, affectionate glow exude from them. Yui’s box sat on my lap, unopened. I wanted to open it, but our moment in the snow felt like a much more meaningful note to end off on, so I felt that opening it now would somehow cheapen that little moment of ours. 

This heat that seems to wrap my chest...where did it come from...?


	13. Pride of the Living

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo confronts his own past, and finally overcomes it.

“January 11th, 2006”, that was the date that I’d inscribed my paper with. As I wrote it down, I felt my hand grow numb with apathy towards it. It’s been a decade since it happened, and I don’t even have particularly strong memories about him. To me, the guy might as well have been a stranger. Yet, every January 11th since that day, these melancholy feelings sneak up on me, like my own shadow in the sunlight. They just won’t go away, and I always end up feeling kind of pissed off towards everyone around me as a result. 

But I have to tuck away those feelings for now, school comes first. But...maybe a break wouldn’t be so bad. I’d long since zoned out of Ms. Arakashi’s lecture anyway. I stared into the sky outside the window, looking for some sort of reprieve from the repetition of my daily studies. The sky breathed a cold, uncaring light blue. It’s the same as always. Normally, looking at the sky comforts me, but every January 11th, I feel my stomach turn the more I look into it. It’s as if the sky is beckoning me to remember something that I would rather not remember. What a pain, I just can’t seem to get into a comfortable headspace like this at all. I hate to seem like a broken record, but this day really sucks.

“Hey, hey…” a familiar whisper beckoned to me. It was my deskmate, Yui, poking at me with a pen. “What…?” I asked under my breath as we both ignored our studies. “Are you feeling okay…? You don’t look so good…” she said, putting a hand on my cold cheek. Am I that easy to read today? How unlike me. I removed her warm hand from my face slowly, not wanting to worry the girl more than I already have. “I’m fine, Yui. I think it’s just the weather.” I said, coming up with some lame excuse on the spot. She, of course, looked at me rather unconvinced. Her eyes scanned my body language, looking for any clues that might let her try and help me further. Judging by the way her eyes had softened and become more neutral, I guess she didn’t find anything. “...Well, okay then.” Yui said, returning her eyes to her notebook to continue a doodle she’d been working on. I don’t think someone even as oddly perceptive as her could detect my problem, as it runs far further than skin-deep.

Her eyes drifted over to me once again. I wonder if she’s just bored? It’s not unlike her to mess with me in the middle of class in order to pass the time. “...Do you need to go to the bathroom?” she asked. “Wait, I’ve always wanted to ask this, where do you even go to the bathroom, anyway?” she asked, poking at my side with her pen. “One question at a time, okay?” I said, swatting away her hand. “And if you must know, I go to the Faculty Room for that.” I folded my arms as I leaned back in my chair. I’m quite thankful I sit all the way in the back of the room on days like these. Yui certainly seems to enjoy being able to sleep without fear of being caught. On days like these, I’d let my slacker side take full charge and go to sleep with her. But there’s so much on my mind that I doubt I could get more done than just being able to shut my eyes. I wonder what he would think if he saw me like this now? Wait, no, let me not wonder that, please.

“Stop, stop, stop!” I lightly beat against my head, scrambling my thoughts. “Um, Leo, are you okay?” asked a mature voice that came from the front of the room. It was Ms. Arakashi, staring me down with the rest of the students in the classroom. Suddenly, I found my back literally against the wall as I tried to scooch away from them. “Um…!” I blurted out as I couldn’t possibly think straight with at least a hundred eyes watching me. “Do you need to go to the Nurse’s Office?” said Ms. Arakashi, tilting her head at the admittedly strange way I’d been acting. “I, um…” I couldn’t find the words. What did I even want here? 

“Yui, why don’t you be a dear and escort him there?” Ms. Arakashi suggested, causing my eyes to widen. “Yes, ma’am!” Yui said as she arose from her seat, forcefully dragging me by the arm as we left the room. “Hey, wait a sec!” I protested as she continued to drag me, the last thing I heard as the door shut behind us were the sounds of giggling and whispering. Just what I needed. “Alright, alright…” I said, getting up from the floor and regaining some lost composure. “I can walk on my own, you know.” I said. “No way!” she said, tightly wrapping her arm around mine. I could feel the warmth of her body press up against mine, causing me to heat up further. Suddenly, lightheadedness struck me. Maybe I really was sick. “It’s my job to see that you get to the Nurse’s Office safely. So don’t be a baby about it, okay?” she said, tightening her grip on my arm as if to flex her authority over me. I couldn’t fight her stubbornness, so I complied and settled down. “Fine, fine.” I sighed. Our destination clear, we began walking through the thankfully emptied hallways.

“By the way, what’s wrong with you, really?” asked Yui, as we were practically glued to each other, her big pupils were more like black holes that would suck up any attempt at lying that I may try. Still, I had to avoid that potential conversation, no matter what. “N-Nothing…” I said, trying to look away from her. “That wasn’t nothing!” she said, her cheeks puffing up as she tried desperately to look into my lying face. “I’m telling you, it was. I just feel kind of under the weather today, alright? I always feel like this during this time of year.” I explained. “Huh? Always?” Yui tilted her head, confused. Gah, why did I let that slip? Now she’ll just be even more curious. “Um-” I stammered, thinking of whatever lame excuse I could. “Yeah, see, I’ve got a big problem with allergies during this time of year. Gets real bad, and I end up not being able to think straight."

"Oh, really?" Yui stared curiously. "Maybe I've had that condition since I was a kid." she brought a finger to her lip as she pondered. "And that could be why I'm no good with studying…!" she said, giving me a smile that told me 'I'm the same as you!'. No, that's really not it at all. The fact that you actually fell for that tells me a completely different story. "Could be…" I said, entertaining her tangent. 

As we walked further, Yui's grip on my arm bothered me less and less. She's a very…'physical' girl when it comes to showing affection towards people. But she really doesn't know a thing about teenage hormones and how they might affect the fairer sex, does she? Well, she is, or rather, was attending a school with no males to speak of, so I can't fault her too much for that, I suppose. I still think about the first time she suddenly hugged me a lot, and how I was so desperate to get her off me. Nowadays, I protest it, but I don't put up much of a fight otherwise. Maybe I've just been broken in or something. Still, I think I'd die if other people were to see us like this. Speaking of that…

We approached the nurse's office, and I slithered my way out of Yui's grip as the door was opened. It was your typical high school nurse's office. It was small, and there were a few beds for sick students to sleep in, and it was kept in pristine condition. The nurse sitting in attendance pushed up her glasses as her eyes laid on the two of us. "Oh, Leo. How unexpected." she said, rising from her seat. I didn't know the lady, but she knew me. I suppose one of the benefits of being the only male in school is that everyone knows you, though that also comes with the caveat of not wanting everyone to know you. "Yui, too." she said as she put her hand against the girl's forehead. "You're not sick. You didn't just come here again to sleep until class is over, did you?"  
The nurse stared her down with accusatory eyes that for some reason reminded me a lot of Akiyama.

"N-No, Ms. Ikigai." Yui said nervously. "Why am I not surprised?" I asked, skipping class to sleep seems like a very 'Yui' thing to do. "We're actually here for Le-Le!" she said, shoving me forward with her hand to take the heat off her. "Le-Le? Oh, you mean Leo? Cute nickname." said Ms. Ikigai as she got a better look at my face. Her emerald eyes looked into mine with a sort of clairvoyance that told me that lying to her might be difficult, still, I had to try. "D-Don't encourage her, please. Really, it's pretty embarrassing." I said, breaking the ice. Ms. Ikigai rubbed her lips in a way that told me she was having too much fun with this. "Fine, would you prefer 'Little Lion', then?" 

"Wha…?" I stood in disbelief. How did she know that name? Why did she have to say it today, of all days? Has my past come back to haunt me or something? No, no, that's stupid. It's just some coincidence, right? Then...why is my body beginning to tremble? "Le-Le?" Yui observed me, concerned at my sudden silence. "Um…" I squeezed one arm with the other, trying to get a handle on my incessant shaking. "Could you not call me that, please…?" I said, my voice accidently darkening. Ms. Ikigai took notice of this, taking a step back so I could reclaim some personal space. "Whatever you want." Ms. Ikigai said softly.

"Now then…" Ms. Ikigai began as she took a seat, my nerves calming somewhat. "What brings you two here?" she asked, sipping her afternoon coffee. "Ah, you see, Le-Le's got seasonal allergies. He was acting really funny in class earlier, so the teacher said he should come here to see what's wrong." Yui explained, moving her body about to clue Ms. Ikigai in further. "And you escorted him here? Good girl." Ms. Ikigai praised the girl, causing Yui to blush as she waved her hand. "Oh, it was nothing!" Yui said, probably wanting more praise in spite of her comment. "Well, there isn't much we can do about seasonal allergies…" said Ms. Ikigai as she sorted through some files in a thick folder. "And we can't potentially have you getting the other students sick, so why don't you just take a load off and rest in one of the beds for now?" she said, pointing to one of the beds enclosed in curtains. "Alright." I nodded. It wasn't my intention to get some R&R here, but it sure beats staying in class when my head isn't quite screwed on right today.

"Oh, oh!" Yui raised her hand excitedly. "Can I stay too?!" she asked. "You're not sick, are you?" asked Ms. Ikigai, resting her tired-looking face on her hand. "Just head back to class, alright?" she instructed. "Ah, not for me, I just wanna keep an eye on Le-Le for a little while. That's okay, right…?" Yui explained innocently. Her intentions were probably good, but I was kind of bothered by that anyway. "I'll be fine on my own, Yui." I said, holding her shoulder. "Just go back to class, okay?" I said, trying to reassure her. "But…" she said reluctantly. 

"Actually, if it's just for a little while…" Ms. Ikigai spoke up with a smirk that irritated me for some reason. "Then, sure. I guess I don't see the harm in that."

"Really?!" Yui said, thrilled. "Really…?" I said, in defeatist disbelief. "Sure. Just keep the curtains open so I can keep an eye on you both." said Ms. Ikigai with a sly look about her. "You've got it completely wrong." I said, my face quickly reddening despite my deadpan tone. "Huh?" Yui stood confused as the implications of what was said flew well above her head. "Nevermind…" I said, tired by the conversation at hand. "Lemme just lie down, already." I headed for the bed, despite it being only a few feet away, Yui insisted on making sure she helped me the whole time. What an overbearingly sweet girl. Honestly, with the way she's treating me, I'd almost forgotten that I'm very much not sick.

I lied down on the incredibly soft mattress, leaving my bag off to the side. "Mmm…" I moaned, the cushiness of the nurse's office bed washing away some of the stress I'd built up. I can see why Yui frequents this place to slack off. "Here you…" Yui said, picking up the bed sheets. "...go!" she exerted, throwing the admittedly rather heavy white bed sheets on top of me. This weight was strangely blissful, it was as if I were wrapped in the arms of a protective mama bear. “This is surprisingly nice…” I said as I felt my eyelids become heavy. “Isn’t it?” Yui said, plopping herself down on the bed’s edge. I could hardly see her cute face as my vision started to darken. "Mhmm…"

I shuffled about in the bedding till I got a preferable resting position, lying on my side. “Feeling better already?” Yui said to me, her appearance becoming more and more garbled with each passing word. “Mhm…” I weakly repeated, my mind unable to parse a real sentence as it teetered on the two states of waking. “This bed is the best…!” is what I think Yui said to me as I read her lips. It's as if someone stuffed my ears full of cotton, even as I pressed against it with my fingers, I couldn’t make out what was being said as my mind was crowded with white noise. “You know, Le-Le…” Yui began. Huh? Can you repeat that…? “Mhm…” I said once again, not wanting to move my mouth much as I pretended to follow along with whatever it was that she said.

My eyes stared directly in front of me. I couldn’t move my eyes at this point, much less my neck. How many times have I seen the number on the digital clock change? Once? Twice? Ten times? Twenty? Whatever...I guess it doesn’t matter all that much. As I stared into the white decor of the room, I felt not a thing, not even the weight of my own body as my senses were effectively switched off. The last thing I observed as my eyes were blanketed in darkness was Yui staring into my face with an expression that I couldn’t hope to register. I hope she wasn’t angry at me for not listening to her.

…

The wind breathed a nostalgic warmth as I was shrouded by the fever of the summer sun. Summer? Something seems off about that, but maybe I’m just feeling weird today. 

Ah, the way the breeze wrapped around the flowers on this hill is so cool. These days are just the best. As I observed the hydrangea doing its daily photosynthesis routines, I felt a large, scruffy hand pat my backside. “Wait up, son!” said the man who towered above me, catching his breath. It seemed kind of hard to run with that basket and that big case he was carrying around. “Ah, hey, dad!” I smiled at him. For once, he wasn’t at work and actually had time to spend with me today. I stood up, looking up at his face that had been covered in black oil. “Were you at the shop earlier?” I asked. He kneeled to my level, and I saw my reflection in those round glasses of his. My face feels rounder...or...cuter than normal? But, I’m still the same as always? I was pretty confused by that, and I guess dad noticed as he would frown. “Something the matter, Little Lion?” he asked. 

“Ah, Little Lion?” I asked, confused. Huh? That name’s not right...Is it? That’s what he normally calls me, though. Right? “Why’re ya calling me that? What happened to Le-Le?” I asked him. But...who or what is Le-Le? I’ve never heard that name before...yet why does it seem so familiar to me? “Son, are you feeling alright?” Dad asked me as he pressed his warm, greasy hand against my forehead. “We can’t afford you to be sick today, of all days.” He smiled. “I’m okay, dad.” I looked at him in his beady eyes. He looked so different from me and mom. He says he comes from somewhere far away, but that our differences bring us closer together. I don’t know what that means, but I guess it’s fine.

“Well, that’s good.” he said, removing his hand from my head, but leaving a small track of grease on me. “You only get to celebrate your fifth birthday once, after all!” he told me as he rose to his feet. “Wait, but today’s not my birthday.” I rattle my head, suddenly dizzy. “It’s yours!” I pointed at him. He gave a hearty laugh, his laughter always felt so earth-shaking. “Ha, you really have your mother’s sense of humor. You know that?” he said, readjusting his glasses from all that shaking. “Really? Hey, where is mom, anyway?” I looked around the hill we stood atop of, but she was nowhere to be found. “Good question.” he said, his face deep in thought. It reminds me of when he’s thinking of new songs to play. He plopped to the ground and gave a loud sigh. “Well, I’m sure she’ll show up in time. Come here, son.” he said, patting the soft grass in front of him.

I did as I was told, and sat. He sat the basket he was carrying to his side, and let the big case he was carrying rest against the tree that shaded just the two of us. “Ah, much better…!” he said, twirling his arms to let them breathe. “Now then, son...I know it’s not much, but I got us a little something for your birthday today.” he said, opening up the picnic basket he lied to the side. There were sandwiches inside, but the further his hands dug into it, the greater my curiosity became about what awaited beneath all that. 

“Ta-da!” he shouted, pulling out two familiar golden wrappers. My strange thoughts from earlier vanished immediately at the sight of those letters that were on the wrappers. “Chocodiles!” I felt the air brush my teeth as I wore a big smile. “That’s right!” Dad said, placing one of them in my hand. I swear, even though they look small at a glance, they always end up feeling pretty massive when I get to hold them in my hands. Chocodiles were my favorite, Dad’s too. Other kids told me they weren’t anything special, and there are people who get to have these every single day. But me and dad knew better, we both knew these were our slices of heaven. “Cheers!” we sang, tearing off the wrapping and digging in.

“So good!” I said with my mouth full, the spongecake and the chocolate always mixed just right. “That’s the stuff…!” Dad said, holding his cheeks as they were stuffed with the same incredible taste. “Mom says this is no good for us...but I just can’t help it…!” I said, taking another bite of the soft food. “Mmm...the cavities are so worth it…!” Dad agreed, holding the remainder of his chocodile over his head, before dropping it in his mouth in one satisfied gulp. He looked kind of like a seagull, although I’ve never been to the beach. Wait, yes I have. Have I? I took a few more desperate bites out of my chocodile to distract myself from those weird thoughts that were coming back. Before I knew it, it was gone. I cleaned off the chocolate on my now-empty hands with my tongue, before they were made squeaky clean. Dad did the same, and we laughed at each other as we did so.

“So, son…” Dad looked at me, bringing over that big case of his and sitting it in front of himself. “I know me and your mother don’t have much to give you…” he told me, his eyes seemed kind of sad when he said that. “It’s your birthday and all, and it feels like I should be able to do more for you…” he said, putting his hands on the case’s top. “Don’t worry, Dad!” I tried to cheer him up. We’ve talked about this before, but he still seems really bothered by it. I wish there was more I could do, but I’m just a kid. “All I need are you and mom, that’s all!” I said, trying to give him my best smile. He gave me one of his own, but he looked like he was in pain. He was definitely hurting, why didn’t he just tell me and mom the truth? Wha…? What am I thinking? Urgh, my head hurts.

“I hope you’ll accept this song as my gift to you, my Little Lion.” He opened his case, taking out his violin and the bow for it. It looked old, but he always made sure it was clean. He said it was a gift from grandpa when he married mom. “You made a new song for me?!” I asked, thinking it was hard to believe. Dad said making new songs was a lot of work, so it was crazy that he made a new one just for me. “Of course, kid. Now…” he put the violin on his neck and held the other end of it with his hand. He looked so cool when he was doing that, but I bet I can play better than him now. But...I don’t play violin, so how could that be? “...Feast your ears on this!” he said, bringing up his bow in a way that forced my eyes to follow.

He strummed his bow against the strings of the violin, making a humming sound. It sounded like the women near our house who sang at night. Dad practiced lots of songs, and I remember almost every one of them. Especially the ones he would turn on the radio to listen to. But...this song was made especially for me, so I had to memorize it for the first time.

As I listened, I got kinda sad. The song itself wasn’t sad or anything, it was really pretty, actually. But...it made me feel sad. I don’t know why, but my heart started to have this stinging feeling the more it went on. And...it sounded familiar too, almost like I played it before. But how could that be? I don’t think I could even hold a violin.

The song stopped, and Dad looked sad too. “Did you not like the song, son?” he asked me. I felt my heart sting again when he asked me that. “I liked it!” I tried to tell him. “You looked...kinda down when you were listening. Are you okay?” he asked, putting his violin and bow back in the case. “I’m okay...I think.” I told him. “What’s the song called?” I asked, wanting to make sure he believed me. “It’s called ‘The Little Lion’s Slumber’. Your mother named it, actually.” Ah, that’s the name of the song I...but...I don’t...understand. It felt like a million different words and pictures were flooding my head at once. The man standing in front of me, was he really my dad?

I stood up from the ground so I could look at this man’s face better. “Ready to go home, then?” he asked me. I ignored the question, my answer wouldn’t have mattered. “Dad…” I started, but I felt a lump in my throat. “Why did you leave me and mom all alone?” I looked into his pained eyes as his smile went upside down. “Son, you know I can’t answer that.” he looked away from me. Why did he look away? Just answer the question. Please, that’s all I want. “It’s not fair, though…” I tried balling up my hands, but I just feel too weak to do that. The man in front of me sighed, before coming closer to me. “I know it’s not, son. But please, you must find the way to move forward for yourself.” I felt his warm body wrap mine, his smell always made me feel better. He reeked of grease, sweat, and oil, but it was so reassuring.

“Life had other plans for me, and they’ve got other plans for you, too.” I felt his arms grow tighter, but my expression had not changed. What was he talking about? I don’t even understand what’s happening anymore. This isn’t fair. This isn’t fair. “Don’t suffer on my behalf, please…” he whispered to me.

As he said that, my eyes got all blurry. I couldn’t see anything in front of me. Everything just became warped and soupy, till it all flashed white.

…

“Ugh…!” I fleetingly arose, gasping for air as I found my lungs suddenly emptied. I wasn’t in my favorite park in London. I was in Sakuragaoka Girls High School, in Japan. “All just a dream…!” I frustratingly pinched my nose for falling for my own self-made illusions once more. “Quite a dream it was.” said a familiar voice in my vicinity. “You were tossing and turning in your sleep, but you seem healthy otherwise.” said Ms. Ikigai as she walked over to me. “How long was I out for?” I asked, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. “A few hours. The school day is just about done with. You can stay here until the bell rings, if you want.” she told me, pointing to the clock behind her, it was 2:30PM, about 15 minutes before school would let out. I nodded, accepting her proposal. I guess Yui is back in class, then.

“You’ve got an awfully serious look about you.” Ms. Ikigai said as she lifted my face by the chin with her finger. “What did you dream about?” she tilted her head. “Nothing in particular.” I said, “But it feels like I didn’t really get much sleep, anyway.” I told her, picking up my bag and unzipping it. 

‘This damned portrait.’ I thought to myself, as I brought a small framed portrait out of my bag. I don’t know why I insist on carrying an item that brings me so much grief, it’s as if this thing was some kind of incurable disease that I couldn’t get rid off. Every January 11th, I make sure to bring it with me. Why? I don’t know, it’s like I just expect something out of it that I know I’m not going to get. “Who is that?” Ms. Ikigai asked, leaning in to get a better look at the picture in the frame. “No one special.” I replied dryly. “Liar.” Ms. Ikigai said bluntly. “Nobody goes around carrying an entire picture frame of someone they don’t care about.” she said, plucking at her hair. “Mmm…” I groaned, her statement was completely impenetrable. “Yeah.” I admitted.

“So really, who is that?” she asked again. “It’s, uh…” I stammered. It was a simple question, but I had difficulty answering it regardless. Swallowing some fear, I moved forward. “It’s my dad.” I said, tilting the frame about in my hands. Saying those words left a lingering itch in my throat. “I see...He looks nothing like you, though.” she sat next to me on the bedside. “He’s Japanese, like you. Unlike my mom and me, he didn’t have a drop of English blood in him.” I said, my fingers sliding across the frame’s glass as it went over my dad’s features. “Oh, so you’re Mixed, then? How rare.” she said, perking up at my statement. “I guess.” I said nonchalantly, not really thinking anything of it, personally. “So why did you bring that with you?” she asked me. Another simple, but hard to answer question. “Today’s his birthday.” I said, my eyes feeling heavy again. “I do this every year.” 

“Oh…” Ms. Ikigai said, her voice growing solemn. I guess she figured out that he’s not walking on this earth anymore. “I see, and you use this to comfort yourself. Is that it?” she asked. “No, it’s more like…” I thought about this for a moment, not really sure why I’d do such a thing to myself. “...I want to reconcile with him. But every time I do, this pain in my chest starts to overflow. I can’t explain why, but it makes remembering him feel horrible. So I tend not to mention him around people if I can avoid it.” 

“That sounds to me like you haven’t quite accepted what happened, then.” She said, moving in closer to me. I could feel her elbow press against mine, it was calming. “Maybe...Whenever I dream about him, I don’t even question the fact that he’s there even though I know for certain that he’s been gone for so long.” I said, my grip on the frame intensifying, as if I were unwilling to let go. “Maybe you just need that push.” she said, patting my back. “Death is something that takes a long time to sink in, especially if you try to go at it alone.” 

“Open up to others about this, maybe the answer will become clear to you then.” she said, giving me a modest smile. Easier said than done. The advice was sound, but how could I possibly take it? Who could I even open up to about this? “I…” I started, melancholy.

The bell rang, cutting off my thoughts and my obligation to respond. “Well, I guess that’s it.” Ms. Ikigai said as she rose, ready to clock out at any moment. “You can go now.” she swayed. I got up, putting the frame back in my bag and zipping it up tightly. Throwing my bag over my shoulders, I considered going to the club today. But considering my exhaustion and my mood, I feel like I might end up doing or saying something I’ll just regret if I do go… “Nah.” I decided. Sorry, guys. You won’t be seeing me today.

I unceremoniously took my leave, taking the most optimal route to get out of the school, while also ensuring that I wouldn’t be seen by any members of the club. They’d almost definitely have questions for why I’m ducking them. I suppose I should be thankful that a skill I was pretty much forced to learn actually came in handy.

Soon, I’d found myself in town not long after. I’m not sure why I didn’t just head straight to the train station, but it’s as if something here were beckoning my arrival. I passed the very same sights that we’d all seen that Sunday so long ago. The person I was then is practically a stranger to me, now. I know what caused this change, and who I should be trusting to help me deal with these emotions of mine. But why is it so hard to just say what I feel?

I took a load off on a nearby bench, watching the townsfolk go about their day-to-day lives to kill time as I waited for...something to happen, I guess. Some were students walking home from school and goofing off, a few of which were from Sakuragaoka. Others were old people going about their routines that they’ve been doing for God knows how long. There were also parents, holding their kids by the hand as they went shopping with big smiles on their faces. Those images gave me the pause. I wonder what that kind of thing is like? Must be nice.

“Le-Le!” a familiar voice suddenly called. I sighed, this is an awfully familiar feeling situation. “I told you not to call me that in front of other people.” I looked at the person in question. It was Yui. I mean, who else would call me that…? She ignored my statement, moving closer with the sun’s rays following suit. I didn’t feel my heart sink when I saw her, not like I almost assuredly would have with the others. Instead, it’s as if the weight of my body the burdens on my mind dropped considerably. Is this relief that I’m feeling? That can’t be it. “Why are you here?” I questioned as she took a seat next to me. “Shouldn’t you be at the club?” I asked, hypocritically. “I was gonna take you with me.” she smiled. “To be honest, I wanted to stay there the whole time so we could go together.” she said, averting my eyes. “So you could slack off or something and not go to class?” I said, kicking up one leg over the other. “That was part of the plan…” Yui admitted with a laugh.

The two of us didn’t say anything for a little while, we just watched as various mundane things were happening in the town’s lively streets. I liked moments like these, I’m not the best when it comes to saying what I want to say, so just having these times where we could take in each other’s presence felt more meaningful to me than if we had to actually talk with each other. I wonder if Yui feels the same way?

“Ms. Ikigai told me about your dad…” said Yui, breaking that silence. I’m surprised that I’m not all that mad that she disclosed that information to her. “Guess it’s just her job to do that.” I wondered aloud. “You could have told me about it, too.” she said as she regained eye contact with me. I’m not sure what you’d call the expression in her eye. Anger? Worry? Anxiety? Either way, it wasn’t one that I felt good about, and I feel like I’m at least partly to blame for that. “What are you talking about?” I said, in a futile attempt to justify this to myself. “You’re the only one I’ve talked to about my dad before today.” I told her plainly. “Yeah, but…” Yui said, her emotions somewhat scrambled.

“...You could have let me help you with that, at least.” she said, now watching her hands as they slowly clasped together. I was kind of relieved when she told me that. It made me feel bad that I didn’t place my trust in her sooner, but I also felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders. Was it because she was carrying it for me, now? “Yeah, sorry...It’s just...I’ve kind of always been this way. Now that people are willing to help me with it, I kinda don’t know what to do or what to even say.” I said. That itch in my throat coming back. “Don’t say anything, then…” Yui moved in, her small hand lying atop mine. “Just let me help how I can, okay?” she whispered, leaning on me. Why’s this girl gotta be like this? Who could even put up a fight against this straightforwardness? Certainly not me, as I found myself almost collapsing under the weight of her immense sincerity. “Okay…” I responded, cosigning myself to whatever she had planned for us.

We moved about the city once more, stopping at a corner store before we went to the destination. We bought various things that would apparently be used for later. Yui had informed me that, as Ms. Ikigai told her about what I said to her, she also gave her some advice meant to help me. I guess she figured she would try and pursue me not long after, can’t say I blame her.

Once done, we reached an isolated hill that had overlooked a large part of town. It ran parallel from the view that Yui had shown me all those months ago. “Wow. You really know all the best spots, huh?” I asked her as I took a seat on the soft grass beneath. “Mhm.” she chirped.

Yui took a seat next to me, placing down the bag of things we’d brought too. “So, now what?” I asked. “One second.” Yui said, taking a small, wooden standee out of the bag and placing it on the ground in front of us. “Do you still have the frame?” she asked. I nodded, pulling it out of my bag. “Put it right next to that so it doesn’t fall over.” I followed her instructions then after. My father’s face sat in front of the two of us. My heart was about to burst out of my chest again, but Yui’s presence made that feeling go down somewhat. “Next…” Yui said, pulling a scented candle out of the bag, along with a cheap lighter. I lit the candle, as it seems Yui didn’t know how to operate the lighter.

The candle was placed next to the picture of my dad, my heartbeat moving to the small crackling of its fire. We lied down for a few minutes, not saying much of anything.

“What was he like?” asked Yui, taking initiative once more. “Hmm…” I thought for a moment, it’s been so long since then that I had a legitimately tough time remembering. “He was...creative.” I said, Yui seemingly audibly confused by what I meant. “Whenever we had a problem to tackle, he’d always solve it through his own means.” I shifted my legs about. “Every single thing he did had some sort of imagination behind it. Even though he was a grease monkey for some auto shop, he’d always get in trouble for trying to add a creative spin to things he was supposed to be fixing.” 

Yui looked at the picture with wide eyes, maybe she was trying to picture the man in the photo as the person I was describing. “He loved me and mom, a lot. We didn’t have much in the way of money and material things, but he always told us that in a way that ran a lot deeper to us.” I clasped my hands together. “It’s not hard to see why my mom ended up falling for him, despite all their differences…” I said. “Oh, you mentioned that your dad was Japanese. How did your parents even meet?” Yui asked. “Ah, apparently my dad was on some kind of Artists’ Holiday, or something like that. He was in London at the time, looking for a new creative fire. He met my mom at the restaurant she was working at, and it was sort of just a Love at First Sight kind of thing.” I scratched my head, recalling more and more details that I thought were long since lost to me. “They didn’t date that long until they decided they wanted to marry. They thought, ‘we can’t possibly be without each other’, or something.” 

Yui seemed amazed at that detail, I could see her smile from the impossibly romantic scenario. “He sounded so sweet…!” she said, looking at his photo once more with a newfound glee. “He really was a pretty profound person, but their marriage wasn’t without its issues.” I said, bringing her back down to earth. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Well, neither of them had very much money, and both their families were almost completely opposed to their marrying.”

“Despite that, though...They went through with it with reckless abandon. I was conceived not long after that, and they named me ‘Leo’ in the hopes that I would have the same determination and courage that they did when they married.” I explained. I felt a bit of pain when I said that. “Ah, that’s kinda cool…!” Yui looked at me, smiling once again. I smiled back at her. “I’d almost forgotten all this, too…” I said, watching as loose grass swayed in the wind, leaving the ground where they came from behind. “He was actually the reason I learned violin, too. I always wanted to play music the way he did…” I continued, feeling the lock on my heart loosen the more I talked. “Really?!” said Yui, suddenly having her interest piqued.

“In fact…” my eyes widened at the sudden realization. “That song I’d first played for you, it was a song that my dad made for me…” How did I forget all this? Was that why I so entranced when I played it…? “It was called ‘Little Lion’s Slumber’, he made it for my birthday when I was just a kid.” I winced at my own words. Dad, you’ve been with me this whole time, haven’t you? I’m sorry I pretended like you weren’t important for so long…

I felt my vision begin to blur as hot liquid trailed down my face. “Ah! Le-Le, you’re…” Yui moved in on my face, wiping away my tears with her warm, loving hand… “Crying…?” I asked myself as my body worked in opposition with my mind. “We can stop if you want…” she said, moving back to give me some breathing room. “N-no…” I wiped some tears on my own. “It’s fine, really…”

I gestured to Yui to hand me the bag, and she did so. I took out a familiar golden wrapper, it was our favorite food, a Chocodile. “I brought your favorite, dad.” I said, sitting it by the picture. Yui was silent as I talked with him. “Happy Birthday, I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you that again…” I gritted my teeth, as my next words came from the innermost depths of my heart. “I love you, dad. I won’t wallow anymore. I’ll make sure I’ll live the life that you and mom gave me.”

After I told him that, I sat for a few minutes, processing what it was I had just done, and who had let me do it. Was this little push all I needed the whole time? “Hey, Yui…” I said, scooching closer to the girl in question. “Yes, Le-Le?” she turned to me. Shock was written all over her face as I tightly wrapped my arms around the girl. I didn’t want to let go of this anymore. Why did she have to walk into my life and change it forever…? “Thanks. I mean that…” 

Yui didn’t say anything, surprisingly. She just reciprocated, her hug having nowhere near the strength that it usually did. It had her warmth, all the same though. Maybe she just wanted to take this rare show of affection in.

We left the hill soon after, I took the frame with me, no longer wanting to forget my father’s face or the things he’d done for me. But we left everything else, I hope he enjoys that Chocodile I left him.

No more will my own emotions deter me. From now on, I’ll look straight ahead…


	14. Chest Pains and an Epiphany

Lately, I've been feeling this heat in my chest that just won't seem to go away. It doesn't happen all the time, but it happens whenever I'm in school or around a certain group of people. Person? Anyway, it doesn't hurt or anything, but it makes me feel kind of anxious. Like, it feels as if I should be doing something, but don't know what. When I'm by myself, it goes away, unless I'm thinking about certain people, or a certain person, maybe? I don't know what it all means, but it's the first time I've had these peculiar feelings.

Right now, the heat isn't there. This kind of thing never happens at Sakurai's Garden. Outside my own apartment, work was the most calming place on earth. I'm beginning to feel a bit like Yui, where I find comfort in the routineness of it all. Having the reliable and calm Nodoka around served as a nice change of pace from the often-times loud antics of the clubroom. Mr. Sakurai was quite a nice guy, too. Maybe a bit too passionate about the minutiae of plant-growing, but an easygoing man otherwise. Members of our club would even sometimes stop by in the rare instance that I found work to be monotonous. All in all, it was paradise. The pay was nice, too.

"It kind of feels like you haven't taken any shifts in a while, Leo." said Nodoka, manning the front desk as she normally did. "Really? I don't think it's been that long, has it?" I asked, wiping down one of the tables with a cloth. I could see my own reflection off it. Lately, I've apparently been smiling more without thinking about it, just like right now. "Maybe it's just me, then. It is a fresh year, after all." said Nodoka, leaning on the front desk as she dutifully awaited a customer's entry. "Maybe." I said, putting a bag of mulch on one of the shelves.

"Say, what'd you ever do with that gift that Ritsu gave you?" I pocketed my hands. "Oh?" Nodoka said, turning to me. "You're on a first-name basis with her now, too?" she asked me. "Yeah, same with Mio. After they found out that I started calling Yui by her first name, Ritsu told me that I'd need to start calling them by their first names too, or I'd be kicked out of the club." I rubbed my warm forehead at the mere thought. "And you believed her?" asked Nodoka, smiling. "Of course not. But I figured doing that would save me a few headaches." I tapped to a random rhythm on the table. “Why did you call them by their last names, anyway? You didn’t even do that with me.” she asked me. My head slung towards the ceiling, looking at the lightbulb as it flickered on and off, must be out of juice. “Honestly, I was just embarrassed by it…” I said. “Being in an all-girls school just made me nervous about everyone around me. So I figured if I built some emotional distance between them by doing that, I would be able to calm myself down. Or at least, that was my thought process.” I said, leaning over the table, looking out for any potential customers outside the window. “Did it help at all?” asked Nodoka.

“It did, for a time.” I said. “But after a while, and especially lately, I feel this sensation in my chest when I’m around them. Or whenever I think about them.” I said, holding onto my chest as said pain began to resurface. “Oh? Leo, I think…” Nodoka said, looking at me with a confused smile, as if she needed to tell me something. “What is it?” I asked her. "You're...actually, I don't think I should be the one to tell you." she said, holding back some smirk on her face. Nodoka’s never like this, so what could be on her mind? “If it’s starting to bother you, why don’t you ask the club about it?” she asked. “I guess that couldn’t hurt. The worst they’d say is that I’m weird, or something.” I said, scratching my ear. I think Ritsu's catty remarks have toughened me enough to be able to take whatever criticism gets thrown my way. "I'll ask tomorrow, then."

"Sure is a dense one, aren't they?" asked the gruffy voice of Mr. Sakurai, suddenly emerging from his office with his favorite bonsai tree. "Indeed…" Nodoka agreed. "Hm…?" I wondered what they meant aloud as they looked at each other with concerned faces.

Work continued until closing time, and we went our separate ways for the day. The next day came quickly, and we found ourselves in the clubroom before long. Yui was missing, even though she was in class earlier. Maybe she’s just running late again… I told the girls what’s what, and their reaction was surprisingly more lax than I’d figured. Hm...

“You feel...some kind of heat?” Ritsu asked, scratching her head at the odd information I’d given her. “Yeah, started feeling it around the holidays.” I nodded. “And you’re sure it’s not some kind of seasonal allergy?” Mio said, examining my face for signs of sickness. “No, I only ever seem to feel it when I’m in here, or when I’m thinking about certain people.” I told them, looking out the window to somehow happen upon another clue for my strange condition. “Thinking about certain people...Like?” Ritsu pressed. “Like…” I said, turning around sheepishly. I didn’t want them to see my face for what I was about to say next, and I certainly didn’t want to see their reactions. “Like this club.” I spat out. At my words, the girls collectively gasped. What I said was about as weird as I’d figured, huh? “So, it’s finally happened, huh?” said Ritsu. “After all this time, I was afraid we’d never get to this point…” said Mugi. “I guess that’s why Nodoka texted us all that thing earlier.” said Mio, prompting me to turn around. “What did she say? Does she know something?”

“Not important.” Ritsu said with a wave, as if to smack away my question. “What is important though is this. Leo, are you feeling that heat right now?” Ritsu asked me, looking closely as if she were examining the inner workings of my brain. I put my hand against my chest, besides my own body temperature, I didn’t feel much of anything at the moment. “No, not a thing.” I told her. At my words, Ritsu suddenly grinned. She looked elated as she laid her eyes onto Mugi and Mio, who seemed equally thrilled about something. “What? What is it?” I said, now in suspense. “Do you know why you might not be feeling that heat right now?” asked Mugi, lying her hands on my shoulders with a weirdly Herculean grip. The way her azure eyes seemed to burn scared me, somehow. “Um, no…” I said, Mugi was so close to me that I felt the intense breath from her nose. Personal space, lady. “Let’s make it all clear to you, then. Shall we?” Ritsu said, taking Mugi’s grip off me. “Make what clear to me?” I frowned at the girl’s smug look, the three lining up side by side. “What’s going on?” I asked sternly.

“Leo, you’re in love with Yui.” the three said, as if to congratulate me. “Oh…” I said plainly. “What?!” I yelled as it just clicked. In love with Yui? When? And HOW? We’re total opposites, me and her. She’s lazy, can’t mind her business, and can’t mind her personal space, either! But she’s also so kind, those eyes of hers are so honest and sincere too, and I don’t...hate the way she shows affection, either. Oh… “Oh...son of a...damn it all!” I rocketed from my seat, knocking it over in the process. I harshly combed my thick skull, as if to punish myself. I really do love the girl. That heat I've been feeling had blanketed my entire body, searing me. “I’m such an idiot!” I yelled again, though whether I was chastising myself for not realizing this sooner, or for falling in love with her in the first place, I was unsure. The whole time I had my breakdown at the realization, the girls were having their share of fun just watching.

I let out a sigh as I picked my chair up and sat in it, digging my face into my hands so no one could mock it. “What do I even do about this…?” I soberly muttered. “Just tell her.” said Ritsu, her voice not having so much as a drop of worry. “Huh?!” I shouted at her suggestion. How would Yui even respond to that? What could I say to her? “I can’t tell her that!” I admitted, my cowardly side surfacing. “Why not? I mean, you want to be with her, right?” said Mugi, her notion causing my subconscious to snap in two as my head landed face-first onto the desk in front of me. My face was left a red, steamed mess at the mere thought of even being Yui’s boyfriend. It’s already bad enough that I’m in love with her, but the thought of her even reciprocating those feelings are too embarrassing to put into words. “Slow it down, you two.” said Mio. “We have to know if he even wants that, first.”

“What, don’t tell me you want some other guy to swoop in and take her?” said Ritsu, nearing me with puckered lips so she could give me an awful mental image. “Wha…?!” I gasped, that wasn’t a possibility I’d even considered. I don’t think Yui even has any male friends outside of me, but still, it wasn’t an impossibility. “Or, well, we do go to an almost-all-girls school, maybe some chick here will take her instead.” Ritsu added. Oh, god, that’s almost definitely a possibility. I’m not sure how well-versed Yui is when it comes to romance, but I’ve an inkling that she’s the type to not really take things like gender into consideration if it’s about love. “Ahh, do you think…?” Mugi said, covering her face in a blush. “N-no.” I interjected, causing the girls to look at me in sudden silence. “I’ll do it.” I said, the girls gasping in disbelief.

“Wait, for real?!” said Ritsu, rising from her seat with a crooked smile on her face. I’m not sure if the smile was telling me that this was a bad idea or not, but it was seemingly still one of approval. “Y-yeah…” I said, my cheeks blooming a bright red at my declaration. “Are you sure, Leo?” asked Mio, moving herself over to me. “I’d hate to feel like we’re pressuring you into doing this.” she frowned. “Don’t worry.” I said, putting my hand on her shoulder, giving her a moment of pause. “It sounds selfish, but I’m doing this for myself, more than anyone else.” I rose from my seat, looking dead ahead and envisioning my goal, Yui. “Recently, I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t let my own emotions or doubts deter me from what I wanted.” I clenched my fists. “If I were to back out now, that promise suddenly won’t mean anything anymore.” I told them. “Wow, I’m actually...pretty impressed.” said Ritsu. “Go for it, Leo!” said Mugi, bumping her fists. “You can do it, Leo!” Mio said. Their words gave me all the resolve I needed to push forward, I gave a smile. “Thanks, you guys, really. But there’s one problem…”

My legs and my newfound resolve gave out from beneath me, and my behind crashed back down into the seat below with reckless abandon. “I have no idea what to do…” my voice flatlined as I admitted. “I need your help.” my voice turned robotic. “You don’t have any experience with love, huh?” Ritsu said, rubbing her chin sagely. “None. I didn’t really have much in the way of friends before coming to Japan, so romance was completely out of the question. I’m totally out of my league right now.” I confessed. “Just leave it to me, then!” Ritsu said, bringing a thumb to her chest with the confidence she normally showed. “I know all about this kind of thing!” she said.

“You mean with those zero boyfriends you’ve had?” Mio chimed in, arms folded as Ritsu’s charisma left the building. “H-hey, just because I haven’t had a boyfriend doesn’t mean-” Ritsu started, falling back into her seat in a huff. “Oh, are you more interested in women?” Mugi’s eyes lit up at her own strange theory. “What, where did you even get that idea?!” Ritsu shouted, completely bewildered. “Can we get back on topic, please?” I asked, knowing them, that conversation could have gone on for ages otherwise. “Yeah, yeah!” said Ritsu, seemingly eager to move on as well. “Anyway, if you need to know how to do this, the three of us will help you. So don’t worry that hair off your head, alright?”

I let out a breath, unsure of whether it was of relief or worry. “Alright.” I replied simply. “I’ll leave it to you, then.” I said, resting my head on my hand. “Leave it to us!” said Ritsu running over to the chalkboard, standing in front of her drumset. “Mio, I’ll need your help with this!” she declared. “Huh?” Mio looked in sudden shock. “Why me?” she said, walking near Ritsu with trepidation. “Just c’mere, already!” Ritsu demanded. “And Leo, you take a seat up here!” she said, patting the couch that sat in front of our instruments, the one that was mainly used for our rare guests. I did so, rapt on what our band's drummer had in store for me. “How should I help?” asked an eager Mugi. “I’ll tell you when we need you…!” said Ritsu, flipping through pages from some kind of book about love. Where did she even get that from?

“Alright!” Ritsu said with a grin, looking at a particular page with beaming eyes that went over the words of the page several times over. I guess she was memorizing them? “Alright, Mio!” said Ritsu, bringing the folded page over to her pensive friend. Mio was clearly sweating bullets as she read over the contents of the page, maybe love just isn’t her forte. But then again, who am I to talk? “Ritsu, I can’t…” she said, her face glowing a beet red as her allergies to love kicked into high gear. “Come on, you be Aika! Please? Leo’s counting on us!” said Ritsu, poking at Mio’s cheeks. I guess Aika was a character in the book? Mio looked over at me, her eyes clearly searching for an out. Sorry, Mio, but I’m gonna ask to be selfish just this once, alright? All I did was give her an awkward wave and a smile, to which she gave a sigh of defeat. “Fine…” she said, reading the words on the page once more. “So, what am I supposed to do…?” Mio asked, looking down at the page with detached eyes. “Read out your lines as Aika, and I’ll be playing Tadakuni.” Ritsu pointed, “I’ve memorized it all, so you can keep the book.”

The two stood in front of the chalkboard, giving the little scene an appearance of an old western drama. Ritsu stuck her leg out, her hands glued to her sides. “Come on, Aika! Let’s run away together! We won’t have to worry about what others say about us!” she said, now assuming the role of Tadakuni. She dramatically spread her arms, like the wings of a free bird, as she made her declaration. “Ah…!” Mio gasped, panicking as her eyes desperately searched for her line. “B-But...Tadakuni…!” Mio gulped, still not fully accepting of her role as Aika. “We can’t! What if all this fails…?!” Mio said, giving fake body language that I think was supposed to be acting of some kind?

“What is this…” I squinted my eyes, trying to parse some meaning from the strange show before me. “Wow…” Mugi said in awe, watching the two intently. One man’s trash is another’s treasure, I suppose. “You don’t believe that, do you?!” said Ritsu, clasping her hands together so Tadakuni’s feelings may reach the other actress. “I-I don’t...wish to…” Mio said, blushing. I dunno whether she’s trying to be in character, or if this is really starting to get to her. “Then believe in me, instead!” Ritsu said with an intense look, channeling the spirit of Tadakuni. Mio, or perhaps Aika, was taken aback by this. “T-Tadakuni...I-I don’t know if I can…” Mio said, her eyes shifting away from Ritsu in hesitance. “Trust in me…” Ritsu said, conjoining her hands with Mio. “And trust in yourself, too!” she said, looking into Mio’s face, which was now a mess of emotions that were impossible to discern. Her hands shook, each passage on the pages below becoming more and more embarrassing for her to read. “I-I’ll…” she began, her body quivering as I’m sure she was about to break down at any moment. 

“I-I can’t…!” Mio admitted, shoving her head in the book to hide her own shame, or embarrassment. Maybe both? “C’mon, Mio! What are you so embarrassed for, huh?” Ritsu asked, pulling the book down to expose the girl’s sheepish face. "What a dramatic twist…!" said Mugi, watching the pair as Aika and Tadakuni were effectively tossed out the window. "Dramatic? They just broke character." I told her. “Oh, Leo…!” Mugi shot back at me, suddenly frustrated in a way that I didn’t know she was capable of. “You don’t get it at all! You’ll never get Yui like that.” I shot myself to the other side of the couch due to her overwhelming toxic claim. “Jeez, sorry!” I said, feeling the bad aura radiating from her. “What got into you all of a sudden?!” I shouted. “You have to see the depth, the nuance, of the story being told here!” Mugi said, shooting a finger up at me. “If you don’t, you’ll never understand how to win a girl’s heart.” I winced at her harsh words, and turned back to the girl’s as they continued to stumble through this ‘scene’. I don’t get it, what is there for me to ‘understand’ here?

“Hey, um…” I interrupted the two, much to Mugi’s chagrin as she was quite invested in the storyline thus far. “Not to be a buzzkill, but how’s this supposed to help me, exactly…?” I stared at the girls, who stood motionless as they probably couldn’t come up with anything. “Ahh…” said Ritsu, her body still as her mouth moved about. “Right…” she cleared her throat. “Mugi, we’ll need you for this next part.” Ritsu gestured. “What next part?” asked Mio. “Oh, oh! Coming!” Mugi responded, giving Mio no time to ponder on what the ‘next’ part could even be. “Pay attention to this next part, Leo. It’s critical!” said Ritsu, pointing the rolled up book at me like some sort of captain. “Aye-aye.” I responded plainly, resting my tired face on my hand. “What’s happening here, again…?” said an equally confused Mio. “Mmm…” Ritsu hummed, looking at the pages. “We’ll just ad-lib it!” she said, tossing the book out, its pages landing where it could no longer be seen. Mio stared longingly at the discarded book, as her only lifeline suddenly faded away.

“Mugi.” said Ritsu, as she began to direct Mugi by placing her hands on her shoulders. I wasn’t the one being touched, yet a distinct chill still shot up my spine as Ritsu gave Mugi a guileful look. “You’ll be playing the role of the bad guy." said Ritsu, with Mugi positively beaming at the sound of her new role. My imagination could hardly comprehend what Mugi as a ‘bad guy’ would even be like. “I’ll do my best!” said Mugi. “As for me and Mio, we’ll still be playing Tadakuni and Aika. Out on the town, on a romantic evening stroll under the moonlight.” she said jokingly, wrapping her arm around Mio as if to claim her as her own. Mio was clearly pretty flustered judging by that intense blush on her face, yet she didn’t fight it. Was she simply becoming more accepting of her role as Aika, or was it something else…? Who knows, but I gotta say, they looked pretty good together, actually. “Beginning...now!” said Ritsu, who cleared her throat as the spirit of Tadakuni took charge once more.

“So, what did you think of the movie, Aika, dear?” Ritsu said, walking in place, as if the two had exited a theater moments ago. “H-Huh? Oh, I...I liked it!” said Mio, moving her eyes away from Ritsu’s arm wrapped around her to instead face her. Her legs would follow Ritsu’s lead, moving at the same rhythm. “I normally don’t like romances, but you were so insistent on seeing it, I just couldn’t say no!” Ritsu winked. “S-Sorry…” Mio stumbled. How much of this flusteredness is supposed to be Aika, and how much of it is Mio, I wonder? “It’s just...you know I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time, now…” Mio softly spoke. “Yeah, I know...I just wish the movie had a bit more...action.” said Ritsu, slowly turning to Mio with a grin that made me fear for the girl’s life, as well as her pride. “So how about we spice things up ourselves…?” Suddenly, she spun Mio like a top, stopping so that the two may be face-to-face. Mio was a confused mess at this point, stammering incoherent thoughts as her brain was effectively turned to mush. I swear, I could feel the vibrations from her swiftly beating heart.

As Mio stood an embarrassed mess, Ritsu would gesture to Mugi, giving the girl her cue. “You’re up, Mugi! Remember, you’re the bad guy!” 

“Ah, yes, ma’am!” Mugi approached, taking what I can only guess was supposed to be a menacing stance. But it looked more like she’s been reading too much battle manga, or something… “Gimme your money!” Mugi threatened. Yeah, can’t take that threat with that voice seriously. As I thought that, a stunted chuckle escaped me. Man, I forgot why we were even doing this, but it sure is funny. “Tadakuni, do something…!” Mio said, out of her daze as she stood behind Ritsu, using him as a shield. “Don’t worry, Aika! I’ll protect you!” said Ritsu, putting up her fists and shooting a couple punches forward to intimidate the pretend mugger. “You’re not so tough!” Mugi, the fake mugger declared, retaliating with punches of her own. “Ha!” Mugi shot one decisive punch forward, smacking Ritsu squarely in the face, sending her flying back to the room’s wall. It was kind of like watching a wrecking ball smack into a very fragile-looking building. “Gah!” Ritsu said, the intense pain of her cheek finally registering. “Mugi, what the hell?!” Ritsu shouted, holding her freshly beaten cheek in an attempt to nurse it. “This is incredible.” I sneered. “Ritsu, you okay?!” Mio ran to her acting partner, inspecting the injury. “Not really, no!” Ritsu declared without missing a beat. “Ah, did I do something wrong?” Mugi asked, confused as to how decking her friend into the literal wall was wrong. “Looked right to me.” I told her.

“Oh, you be quiet!” Ritsu bit at me. “Mugi, you weren’t actually supposed to hit me!” Ritsu explained, rising from the floor with assistance from Mio. ”Oh! I’m sorry! I tend to...go all out with these sorts of things.” she bowed. Ritsu couldn’t find it in her to be mad at her, not that I’d blame Ritsu for that. “From the top…!” Ritsu said, her voice giving out as she assumed her fighting pose once more, with Mugi following suit. “And remember, please don’t hit me.” she said, the slightest bit of fear creeping out of her voice. She cleared her throat and the stage was once again set.

“Stand back, Aika! I’ll handle this!” Ritsu said, fists clenched and determined. “Ready to die, then?” said Mugi, eyes filled with a fake evil intent. Yep, still can’t take her seriously at all. “Then…” Mugi chucked back a fist, giving Ritsu a clear tell to dodge. Ritsu moved her head to the side, cleanly dodging Mugi’s punch. But her fist still carried an intense wind behind it, and judging from Ritsu’s panicked eyes, she was still pretty scared. How much force was that ‘fake’ punch packing? Sheesh. “Heh-heh…!” Ritsu said with fake confidence. “My turn, now!” she said, punching forward and lightly tapping Mugi on the jaw. “Oh, I am defeated!” Mugi declared, dramatically falling to her knees. “Come on, Aika!” Ritsu said, grabbing Mio’s hand. Ritsu dragged a confused and embarrassed Mio out of the room, with Mugi clearing out of the scene and taking a seat next to me. The two came back in the room not long after, as if to simulate a scene transition. 

“We got away…!” said Ritsu, giving some fake breathes, with Mio following suit. “You saved me, Tadakuni!” said Mio, seemingly less shaken than before she left the room. “I guess I did!” said Ritsu, suddenly acting bashful. “Now, how about a reward…?” she winked. “R-Reward…?” Mio asked, taking a cautious step backwards. “How’s about we finish that kiss from earlier…?” Ritsu said, taking a commanding step forward, lips puckered and all. “She’s not serious, is she…?” I squinted, unsure of what to make of the scene in front of me. “Wah…” Mugi covered her face, but not her eyes. I’m pretty sure she was blushing at the whole scene. “What?!” screamed Mio, trying and failing to escape Ritsu’s vice grip. “Come on, Aika...please…?” Ritsu begged, her lips getting closer and closer to Mio’s soft face. Man, it got hot in here all of a sudden. Don’t tell me I’m blushing?

After a bit of persuasion, Mio submitted, puckering her lips in anguished anticipation. Their lips came closer, and closer, and even closer than that, until… “And...scene…!” Ritsu said, striking a pose and leaving Mio hanging. “Huh?” I blurted, confused at the sudden interruption. “Huh?” replied Ritsu. “Huh?” Mio said, equally confused. “Huh?!” said Mugi, saddened by the scene’s swift and abrupt end. “Oh, what a tease!” Mugi frowned, but it quickly morphed back into a smile. “But I guess it’s more romantic that way, huh?” she said, rationalizing that ‘scene’ of theirs. Mio quickly regained her composure, and shot a paralyzing glare at Ritsu. “Geez, Ritsu! What was all that about?!” Mio roared. “W-Wait, Mio! You didn’t think I was gonna actually do it, did you…?” Ritsu defended, guarding her already beaten cheek, with clairvoyant eyes that told her what would potentially come next. “It was just to help Leo, remember?!” 

“And how was any of that meant to help him confess to Yui?!” Mio stomped. “It gives him an idea…!” Ritsu sweatdropped, turning to me. “Right, Leo?” she asked. “Not in the slightest, no.” I told her bluntly. As funny as that entire scene was, I don’t feel so much as an inch closer to figuring out how I should go about telling Yui how I feel. “See?” said Mio, with Ritsu slouching in defeat. “Luckily, I have another idea.” Mio folded her arms, like a hero suddenly emerging in my time of need. “Leo, are you free this coming Sunday?” she asked. “Huh? Oh, yeah.” I nodded. “Why…?”

So came Sunday, and all was about to become clear to me. We were at Malakov’s Coffee Shop, unlike last time, prices were slashed considerably, and my wallet wasn’t weeping at the mere thought of being here. I guess business must be rough, huh?

Myself and the rest of the Light Music Club sans Yui, who wasn’t informed about this little get-together for obvious reasons, sat in waiting at one of the shop’s booths. “So, why’d we come here, again?” I asked, pouring some cream into the rich coffee that sat in front of me. “Well, if you’re going to be confessing to Yui, I’d figured that you would want some info on how to talk to her. So I called in some help to get you started.” Mio explained. “Who would that be?” I asked.

“Hello there!” a familiar voice said. “Thanks for having us.” said another. I looked to see who the two figures could possibly be, it was...Ui and Nodoka?! “Is this some kind of setup?!” I slammed my hands onto the table without even thinking about it, causing its furnishings to bob back and forth from the rumbling. “What? No! Leo, just calm down for a second!” Mio told me, in an attempt to flag me down. My mind was already bursting at the seams. They think I’m some kind of weirdo, don’t they? Well, the best thing I can do now is…”Leo, what on earth’s gotten into you?” asked Ritsu as I slid out of my seat and stood to face the two girls, their eyes as confused and jumbled as my own emotions. “Sorry!” I quickly bowed. "I know my feelings towards your sister and childhood friend are indecent, but I can't help it!" I bowed again, with even more force. My back is starting to hurt. "Leo, will you calm down and listen?" Mio barked.

"They're not mad at you, silly." Mugi said softly. "What…?" I muttered, completely bemused. My fearful eyes met theirs, and they stared at me not with anger, but rather, awkward smiles due to the scene I was making. I stood upright, regaining some lost composure. "I don't get it, you aren't upset at all?" I questioned, equal parts confused and suspicious. "Actually, I think we all want the same thing, here." Ritsu interjected. "That's right. We can explain.” said, Nodoka, with a smile that helped to reassure me. We all took a seat in the now crowded booth, with Nodoka and Ui sitting parallel to me, as if to observe my every move. Stop that, please. I hardly want to move right now, anyway.  
“I don’t get it, you want me to tell Yui about how I feel, too? Wouldn’t you be at least a little skeptical?” I asked, the steam emitting from the hot coffee fogging Nodoka’s glasses and obstructing her face. “Why would we be?” Nodoka said. “You pose as much of a threat as a small mouse, Leo.” she continued. I feel like I’d compromise my manhood if I were to take that as a compliment, but I couldn’t really tell if she were insulting me. “Um, okay…” I replied. “But how come you seem so...okay with it?” I asked again, a little unconvinced. “Just take the help…!” said Ritsu, shouldering my rib. “But…!” I tried to argue, holding my stinging side. “No, it’s fine, really.” said Ui, looking like she wanted to save me from another scolding. “I suppose this feeling is only natural to feel this way, right?” said Nodoka. I’ll certainly say. “I’ll fill you in.”

“Yui and I have been friends since we were small children. I love her dearly, but you don’t need me to tell you that.” Nodoka held her hand up to her chest, her face lost in blissful reminiscence. “But she’s also not the brightest girl, I worry for her constantly. So I keep an eye on her as best as I can, that’s part of the reason we wound up going to Sakuragaoka together.” she said. I nodded, I think I get what she means. Yui’s antics can teeter on being downright worrisome sometimes. “But I can only follow her as far as high school, and with my duties as a member of the Student Council piling up, I’m able to watch over her less and less.” she said. “The Light Music Club can watch her while she’s at school or in the club, but with you around, I’d never have to worry anymore.” she said, her smile having a hint of bittersweetness to it. Her words left a weight of some kind of me, a pressure? Either way, she gave me a push that I didn’t know I needed. A purpose for telling Yui beyond me selfishly imposing my feelings onto her.

“But why me, though?” I asked, earning an audible groan of annoyance from Ritsu. “Couldn’t someone else do it?” I continued. “It doesn’t have to be you specifically, no.” Nodoka stated unceremoniously. “I just think it would be nice if it were you, that’s all.” she added. “I agree!” Ui said, suddenly entering the conversation. “I don’t see you as often as everyone else here, but I know Sis best out of anyone.” Ui’s held her blushing face, as she probably began to think mushy thoughts that would give me second-hand embarrassment. “The way she’s talked about you...I think she really does like you too, Leo…! So if you’re upfront with her about it, I’m positive she’ll accept you!” she said. Her words made me feel weightless, like if I were to jump out of my seat, I’d hit the ceiling. “Y-You think…?” I said in vain attempt to force back a smile. “Wow…” I said, I looked down at my open palms as I felt newfound power well within my arms.

I balled up my fists, a fire setting off within me. “Hell yeah!” I shouted, the girls startled by my sudden outburst. “I can do this! Just you wait, Yui!” I stood from my seat, the blinding light of the lamp above not even bothering me. My confidence suddenly dissipated as the eyes of the shop’s patrons found themselves on me. “Shhh…!” the girls told, prompting me to sit down. “S-Sorry ‘bout that…” I weakly apologized. “So, how should we do this?” asked Mugi. “Do what?” I asked. “Help you confess, of course!” she replied frankly. “Ah, right.” I replied with a smile. “Wait, what?” I said, her words taking a second to register with me. “Y-You don’t have to do that…!” I put a hand up, as if to reject her help. Ritsu quickly took that hand down, her face beaming. “You kidding me, Leo? We wanna see this through as much as you do!” she said. “That’s right.” Mio said. “We’re with you, all the way.”  
Nodoka and Ui said nothing, instead giving nods of approval to show their support. Despite the immense pressure of what I was about to do, the situation no longer felt as hopeless as before. “Guys...thanks.” I told them humbly.

So arrived the very next day, Monday. School went on mostly uneventfully, but I could hardly keep focus in class since the person I was going to confess to also sat right next to me. The final bell rang, and the plan we devised would set in motion. First, myself and the Light Music Club, sans Yui, would head for the clubroom promptly. Nodoka would stall Yui until we got there. We stood outside in front of the door, with the girls grooming me. Before they would leave, they made sure my clothes and hair were spotless. 

“Alright, you all ready?” asked Mio as she was straightening my collar. “I’m not so sure, anymore…” I admitted. “Leo, you can’t get cold feet now!” Ritsu scolded, tightening my already tied shoes to a point where it felt like my toes were about to burst. “Not after all that hard work we went through to set this up!” she added. “That’s right!” said Mugi, combing the back of my hair as if I were some doll. “Your only way of moving is forward, Leo!” 

After they finished, they got one last look at me and nodded contentedly. “Did you bring what Ui told you to?” asked Mio. “I did.” I said, shuffling about my coat pocket. “But what’s this got to do with confessing to her?” I asked, pulling out a small box with a ribbon on it. It was the very same one that Yui gave me for Christmas. I’d opened it since then, but I kept it in good condition since it meant a lot to me. “She said you’ll know when she sees it.” Mugi told me, prompting me to place it in my pocket once more. “Ah!” Ritsu said, looking down at her flip phone. “We gotta go! Yui’s on her way!” she looked to the girls, who looked like they were ready to escape the scene of a crime. Her words made my heart quake out of either fear or excitement, possibly both. Ritsu spun me around, pushing me through the door. My mission starts here. “Go get ‘em, tiger!” she said, slamming the door. What kind of crappy joke is that to leave on, Ritsu?

Suddenly, the door opened again, with the girls standing there before making their final departure. “Oh, and Leo…!” Ritsu called out to me. “Good luck!” she said, giving a thumbs up, with Mio and Mugi following suit. “...Thanks, guys.” I returned a thumbs up to them, they smiled at me, before closing the door. The last thing I heard was the desperate sounds of their echoing throughout the hallway as they looked for an exit that Yui wouldn’t find them in. Before long, there was only silence.

I looked outside the window as I waited... “The sky sure is clear today…” I thought aloud. All this time, it’s hard to think that I really ended up falling in love with her. But at the same time, the more I thought about the things we’d done together, it’s only natural that this was the conclusion that I arrived at, right? Well, either way, regardless of those doubts I’m holding right now, I need to go through with this. If not for myself, then for everyone who’s supported me up to this point.

My thoughts would be cut short by the sound of the door clattering open, I turned to face who it was. It was my desk neighbor, my friend, Yui. But hopefully, as we leave the clubroom today, we can be a little more than that. “Hey there.” I softly greeted her.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Afterword

And that’s Chapter 14! This chapter primarily served as setup for Chapter 15, so I hope you guys don’t mind waiting too long until then!

Until next time, ciao!


	15. The Enduring Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Leo's feelings begin to spill over, he starts to have some doubts about himself.

The slow fall of a droplet from the clubroom’s sink created an echo, punctuating how empty the room felt today. Without the usual noise of the Light Music Club, the emotion in here felt kind of hollow, somehow. It was just me and Yui, I couldn’t blow this. The girl that stood before me wore the same absent-minded smile that she always did. She stuck out like a sore thumb, really. Everything that happened today was arranged with a specific purpose that she didn’t know about. But...she seemed different today, too. Or is my mind just playing tricks on me again? 

“Hiya, Le-Le!” she said with a wave. “You were waiting on me? For what?” she tilted her head, confused. “And...where is everyone else, anyway? The hallway sounded kinda loud when I was coming over here, so I figured…” she said, her head swinging side-to-side to find where the rest of the group may have gone. “Something tells me that they won’t be coming today.” I told her, but I didn’t really feel good about saying that, I wonder why…? Well, no time to ponder on that now. “Just a gut feeling.” I said, putting my hand on my stomach. “Oh…” Yui pouted cutely. “And I wanted to show Ritsu and Mio something cool today…” she said, holding up a magazine about love which felt suspiciously on the nose. Sorry, Yui. That’s definitely my fault. “Sorry, would you rather go home instead…?” I suggested. Wait, what? Why would I say that? I shouldn’t be looking for an out right now! “Nah, I’m sure they’ll show up if we wait long enough.” she said, walking over to me. I breathed a sigh of relief, only barely having my chance not be snatched away from me.

She leaned on the desks lined up against the wall, where I was also leaning. The closer that face of hers got to me, the more I felt my legs tremble from beneath me, as if my lower half could give out and collapse at any moment. “You sure were slacking off a lot today, Le-Le!” she suddenly said. “Ah, y-you were paying attention?” I replied without missing a beat. Ah, that’s a bit embarrassing, she honestly didn’t seem like the type to hold that against some. “Mm-hm! You should borrow Nodoka’s notes if you were having trouble!” she said, her stature telling me that she thought she was being more clever than she really was. “T-Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.” I told her. “Oh, speaking of Nodoka! There’s a reason why I was late today!” she excitedly explained to me. Yeah, I know the reason, Yui.

Yui grabbed her schoolbag, shuffling through it quickly. I noticed for a brief moment that she didn’t have many books related to the act of actually studying in it. “Here!” she said, pulling out a pink digital camera that she’d apparently gotten for Christmas. “Nodoka showed something cool after school today.” she said, shifting through the album on her camera with a surprising amount of finesse and ease. I’m a little impressed that she’s able to work the thing with such precision, but considering she was able to pick up the guitar in such a short time, maybe I shouldn’t be. “Right here!” she said, giving me a front row seat to her camera’s bright screen. “Cats?” I observed. It was a whole pack of them bunched together. It looked like they were in the middle of sleeping next to a brick walling, but woke up, probably because of the camera’s flash. “Yeah! It turns out there’s an entire family living behind the school!” she informed me, scrolling through various photos of the cats doing nothing in particular. Eating, sleeping, yawning, observing, peeing, the usual things that a cat does. It was pretty normal, but Yui’s eyes lit up in excitement all the same. “I’m gonna take one home with me!”

“What?” I chuckled. “You can’t just go and do that. What would your parents say?” I asked her. “They’d love a new pet, I’m sure.” she said without missing a beat. “I brought home a lizard once, and they let me keep it!” she continued. “Really?” I asked, somewhat unconvinced. “And what happened to it?” I folded my arms. “Well…” her voice grew docile. “It was a little freaky-looking, so I let it back out into the wild…” she sheepishly admitted. “Oh, but cats are cute, so that wouldn’t happen!” she quickly said, trying to convince me of something. “I’m sure it wouldn’t…” I played along. “But, see, there’s another issue with that, one you forgot about…” I explained. “What’s that?” she said, looking a little glum all of a sudden.

“Well, you’d be taking the cat away from its family.” I pointed, putting my finger on the warm camera screen. “Oh! I can’t do that!” she said, now tightly clutching the camera, loudly humming as her brain tried to come up with another solution. “Oh, I know!” she grinned, quickly scrolling through the pictures. “You do?” I asked, shocked that she came up with another solution so quickly. “Here!” she said, it was a picture of a lone grey tabby. Quite a contrast from the more lively-colored cats seen in all the other pictures. He looked kinda grumpy, but he was cute all the same. “This little guy was all by himself out there, I think he was just looking for some playmates. Watching him was kinda sad…” she said, lightly rubbing the screen with her finger, as if petting him from afar. “And?” I asked. “Well, I can just take him then, right?” she said. 

“Well, just cuz you’re moving some lonely cat into a new place doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll like it.” I said, feelings of jealousy pouring out from me, from somewhere. “He might have to adjust, and he wouldn’t know what to do at that time.” I explained. “Well, if he doesn’t like it, I’ll just give him all the time and love that he needs until he finally does!” she shot back, smiling. I felt myself blushing at her words. Why am I blushing? “You can’t just smother the guy, what if he gets scared or gets the wrong idea…?” I asked her. “Well, I sure hope he doesn’t…” Yui bashfully swept her hair about, not having a real response. “You’re kinda hopeless sometimes, you know that?” I told her plainly. “Ehehe…” Yui gave a weak laugh. “Well, even if there’s a chance that it doesn’t work out, I still wanna try.” she said, looking down at the camera remissfully. “Well, do your best, I guess…” I said, encouraging her reckless abandon against all better judgement.

A few minutes passed, and there was an odd silence between the two of us. Yui kept herself busy by flipping through the pictures on her camera, of which there were seemingly a few hundred. I was left with my own thoughts in the meantime. Without the others here, carrying natural conversation is impossible for me, it seems. I feel too caught up in how this can all go awry to really be able to say anything to her. These thoughts welled up, causing a slight sting in my head. ‘Am I ready for this…?’ My intrusive thoughts asked. ‘Am I moving too fast…?’ I thought, trying to move my trembling hand to get Yui’s attention to no avail. She looked up from her camera, startling me, but she didn’t seem to notice at all. “They’re really taking their time, huh?” she said, her eyes impatiently locked on the clubroom door. “Seems so.” I replied awkwardly. 

A few more minutes passed, time slipping away like sand between my fingers. "C-Can I…" I started, my throat becoming itchy as I couldn’t quite parse the words I wanted. “Hm?” Yui’s eyes wandered to me, making that itch all the worse. “Can I see them? The cats, I mean.” I asked With my words, Yui’s eyes lit up in surprise as they rose to meet mine. Without a second thought, her lips formed a warm smile. “Yeah, of course!” she jumped off her seat, tugging at my sleeve as if beckoning me to do the same. I followed, of course, with the way she looked at me, almost making me forget that this was just my ploy to stall for time until I can get my own very much jumbled thoughts together. We promptly left the clubroom, with Yui seemingly having forgotten all about everyone else despite having brought them up only a few minutes ago. She skipped about the halls gleefully, and I followed at roughly half her pace. I couldn’t keep up with her for more than a few moments at a time, my thoughts too scattered to really pay it much mind.

Before long, we’d arrived at the school’s backyard. It felt kind of isolated, without any students or faculty members in sight, it was as quiet as a whisper. I’m starting to see how a gaggle of cats was able to start living here, under the noses of everyone except for the ever-observant Nodoka. Maybe I should start having lunch here...Er, anyway. “So, where are they?” I asked, grinding my heel into the grass beneath me. “Hmm…” Yui hummed as she stared into her camera’s screen, before looking up at the present world, as if to match the two. She put her camera away, frowning as she pointed to a shaded spot near the building. The coloring on the brickwork there looked distinctly faded compared to everywhere else, and I saw what were presumably clumps of cat hair strewn about the blades of grass next to it. Despite all that, there were no cats in sight. “They were just here when we came here earlier…” she explained. “They couldn’t have gone far, then.” I told her.

“Right!” she turned to me, her smile quickly restored. “Let’s go!” she declared, heading even further back. I followed, watching as the sky was slowly blocked out by the foliage of the trees that towered above us. The school was starting to feel a little otherworldly as we traveled into parts unknown. The modest fencing did little to have us consider turning back, I could only guess that whoever built this place didn’t expect any old student to be stupid enough to wander in any further. Unfortunately for whoever built this place, they were a good few decades off from meeting Yui Hirasawa, and reconsidering. But seeing as I didn’t just have us both turn back by this point, I can’t say I’m any better. The path we were walking as we travelled further in was a finely beaten one, and we were surrounded on all sides by tall trees that made me dizzy as I tried to gaze how high they went up. It felt as if the many eyes of whatever populated the forest were staring at us as we wandered further in. Luckily for me, this didn’t feel all that much different from wandering the school’s halls and having random students stare at me with trepidation. For Yui, it was another story.

“Hey.” I said plainly and softly, but that was enough to visibly startle the girl as she was seemingly on the edge of her seat. “Y-Yes?” she stammered, turning to me as if to confirm my presence to herself. “If you’re scared, we can just go back. I don’t need to see them that badly.” I calmly told her. “Who’s scared? I-I’m not scared!” she spat back defiantly, stamping her foot into the ground in a hilarious bid of intimidation. But between the sweat barreling down her forehead, and her shaking like a dog in the cold, I think the only person she was truly trying to convince here was herself. “Right…” I said, humoring her. “Well, keep leading the way.” I teased. “O-Okay…” she turned back around, her eyes widening in a way that reminded me of when we’d first met. Just how scared is she, anyway?

Yui’s pace slowed the further we’d gone in, to a point that I’d actually had no problem keeping up with her for once. My eyes wandered to her face, one evidently drowning in anxiety. Maybe now would be the time for me to whip out one of those lines Ritsu had taught me the other day. Say something like, ‘Don’t worry, Yui! I swear, I’ll protect you!’ to really sweep her off her feet. I felt my face heat up at the embarrassing thought. No way am I doing that, that’s way too fake and rehearsed sounding. I somehow doubt that she’d be into that sort of thing anyway. “Oh…!” said Yui suddenly, causing my ears to perk up. The constant sounds of meowing suddenly flooded my thoughts. “They’re nearby!” Yui deduced, running as she seemingly abandoned whatever fear she once had. I swear, that girl’s emotions operate like a rollercoaster sometimes. I promptly tailed the girl as she ran ever deeper into the sea of green.

Moments later, I caught up with her as she was in the middle of staring down the source of the noise. They were the same cats in the pictures, a total of four of varying colors. I knelt down as Yui already was to greet one of the cats face-to-face. “So these are the little guys, huh?” I said, scratching under the white cat’s chin, which it was very happy with. It was soft to the touch, like freshly fallen snow. “Uh-huh! Cute, right?” replied Yui. “Yeah…” I said, jealously watching as three of the four cats pined for Yui’s affection instead of mine. At least let me get to know you, please…? “I wonder how long they’ve been out here, anyway?” I pondered as I stared in the unblinking blue eyes of the white cat that stood before me. “Me too...I’d love to bring everyone here to come and meet them.” Yui said, masterfully giving the three cats equal attention.

“I wonder why they came all the way out here, though?” Yui said looking skyward, though she was no less precise with her petting. “Who knows? Maybe they just came out to play.” I replied. “Maybe you’re right.” she said with a modest smile. As we continued to play around with the cats, with Yui hogging most of them. As I watched, today’s objective had almost slipped my mind again. My quiet observation left me with a full feeling that I had difficulty understanding. But with the way I was smiling nonstop, it seemed like a good feeling, at least. I smacked my cheeks lightly, catching the attention of Yui and the cats. Swallowing some of my fear, I had to move myself forward.

“Something wrong, Le-Le?” she asked. I really wish she didn’t say anything, that soothing voice of hers ironically made it feel as if I was further from conquering this latent fear of mine than I wanted to believe. “U-Uh…” I gulped, scooching further away from her. “Yeah...Yui, there’s something I gotta tell you…” I said, staring at the dry soil beneath the ground, trying to get my mind as clear as possible. “You see, I’ve been having these weird thoughts lately, and for the longest time...I wasn’t sure what they could have meant, but…” I felt my face begin to awkwardly contort as I was unable to look at her. “But...Y-Yui, I…”

“Oh, Sasakura!” she shouted suddenly, cutting me off. I felt the weight in my chest lighten, maybe it’s for the best that she just did what she did. “Uh, who…?” I inquired. “Oh, yeah. That’s the name I gave the cat I’m gonna adopt!” she explained to me. “Why am I not surprised that you already gave it a name?” I smiled, thinking of the time she’d first called me my horribly embarrassing nickname. “So, what about this ‘Sasakura’, then?” I asked her, her concern being clear as day. “I didn’t see him anywhere!” she said, rising to her feet as she briefly scanned the surrounding area. Something as lowkey as a quiet tabby cat would be pretty hard to spot out here, but she kept looking. “Don’t tell me he went further in…” Yui said with dismay, her legs locked in place at the very thought. “...That’d be bad.” I cringed as I looked further ahead into the forest. The path that we walked became more and more jumbled the further back I looked, and it was probably more dangerous too. “But I’m sure he’ll be fine. Even if it is a little more scary, he’ll be fine even when the sun goes down. Cats have night vision, after all.”

Yui stood unconvinced, my admittedly faulty logic leaving her frown unwavering. I looked to the forest’s innermost depths, and then back to her frown. I knew which was the more upsetting sight to see. I let out a sigh, kicking up some dirt as I did so. “I’ll go find him.” I said, gritting my teeth at my own stupid idea. “What?!” Yui yelled, looking at me anxiously. “You can’t do that!” she moved in closer to me, grabbing me by the wrists. “You could get hurt!” she continued. Her being in such close proximity to me caused some uneasiness to surface, and I found those eyes of hers difficult to deny, but I had to if I wanted to ease her worries and my own. “Ah, you’re even shaking!” she looked down at my hands. “You’re scared, aren’t you?” she observed. “Um…” I hummed. Well, yeah, I’m scared, but you’ve got the wrong idea. “...Someone has to do it.” I shook lightly, prompting her to let go of me.

I folded my arms. “Unless you want to?” I asked. “That’s…!” Yui tried to argue, failing to come up with anything to say. She sighed in defeat, “Fine, but I’m coming with you!” she said, fists clenched in determination. “No, you stay put.” I told her outright. “...Huh?” she said, confused. “Keep an eye on those guys.” I said, pointing to the cats surrounding Yui’s feet. “I’d prefer if nobody else got lost all the way out here.” I said. “Um…” Yui looked down at the cats, their clinginess giving her resolve a nice thrashing. “Okay, just…” she pointed at me. “Be careful, okay? I won’t forgive you if you get hurt!” she declared. “What’s with these cheesy B Movie lines?” I said, giving a minor smile. “I’ll be just fine.” I said. “Promise!” she said, sticking out her pinky as she took a step towards me. I gave an apologetic smile as I complied, sticking out my pinky finger and wrapping it with hers. “I promise.” I said, giving our wrapped pinkies a light shake. “I don’t wanna have to swallow a thousand needles, so I’ll make it as quick as I can.” I joked, my laugh being reciprocated with a light smile from Yui. I felt some doubt leave me as I saw that.

And so, I was alone as I attempted to track down Sasakura. I hadn’t noticed till now just how loud and incessant the chirping of the birds and bugs were until now. Maybe I just prefer Yui’s non-stop chatter to the sound of nature. The path we walked became more obscured the further in I ventured. Eventually, there was no path to even speak of anymore. Just grass and mangled ivy that I had to carefully step over. “Hey, Sasakura!?” I shouted. “You there?!” my voice pierced the silence of the trees surrounding me, yet no results were yielded. “Right, it’s not like a cat would actually respond to me, anyway.”

I would hear a weak meow seconds later. “I guess I spoke too soon, huh?” I said, my eyes locking in the direction of the meow. “Sasakura?” I said softly, getting another meow in response. I followed, using his voice as a compass of sorts to make my way through this vegetated maze. “Ah…” I looked at the sight before me, it was a small clearing that seemed mostly undisturbed by the wildlife that inhabited the forest. The way the sun’s rays gently passed through the leaves of the trees lent this place a tranquility, a sort of air to it that felt almost sacred. I wonder if I’m the first student to learn about this place?

“There you are.” I waved at the grey tabby cat, Sasakura. He was resting on a perfectly cut stump, though he honestly seemed more like decoration with how unmoving he was. “What are you doing all the way out here?” I asked rhetorically, with him giving a simple meow in response. “I see, I see.” I said, feigning understanding. “Why don’t we head on back, then?” I reached out a hand towards him, only for him to reel back in caution. “Ah…” I said, pulling my hand back behind my head. "I see you won't make this easy. Fair enough." I sat on the ground so we could be at an equal height, maybe that would make it seem like I respect him. "Let's get to know each other, first." My eyes opened to face him once more. "Oh." I muttered curiously. 

"Hey, you're actually kinda cute…" I said as I got a better look at his face. He meowed in a way that somehow communicated that he was insulted. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it like that." I shook my head in apology. "You're just...not what I expected, that's all." His face bowed down a little, I think he got the message. "Heterochromia is pretty rare, you know. You should take some pride in that." I said, his eyes looking into mine. His left eye was an incandescent orange, while his right was a cool, reflective blue. Looking at them side-by-side, they had a profound contrast. It was as if the sun and moon had risen to meet one another.

He licked his paw and began to comb his face after I said that. Maybe he's taking my advice? "Nah, this is just what cats do, after all." I argued with myself aloud.

"...Look, I get why you might not wanna go back to them." I started. "It seems like you don't have any real place to belong. That's frustrating…" I gripped my shirt as my chest began to tighten. "You just want to run from it all, start someplace else, yeah?" I asked, Sasakura giving a confused tilt of the head in response. "...Right, of course. You don't get any of what I'm saying right now." I said, laughing at myself. "I bet if everyone were to see me like this, they'd laugh and call me strange." I kneeled, closing in on him just slightly more. ”...I suppose that’s why I’m more at ease by myself, or with those who I know won’t judge me. But you know? Over this past half-year, I learned that...I guess I’m okay with being laughed at, and to laugh with people.” I sighed in annoyed, yet familial recollection. “...I think being around those girls has made me start to think mushy things.” Our eyes locked. He seemed quite focused on me despite my words probably just being incoherent rambling to him. “But you’re not like me. You don’t have to run away to get all that. I bet that, if you look hard enough, you’ll realize where you most belong is closer than you think.”

I rose to my feet, staring down at the cat as he also stood in silent agreement. “So, what do you say? You want to go back, right?” I put my hands on my hips, striking a pose from some non-specific manga. “It might be scary, and you may mess up a lot. But if you never at least try, then you’ll never know. You don’t want that, right?” I smiled, with Sasakura giving an affirmative meow in response. “That’s the way.” I said, acting as if he actually agreed with something he couldn’t possibly understand. “What do you say we get out of here, then?” I knelt to him once more, with Sasakura now on all fours. “Come on.” I extended a hand to him, only for him to ignore my offer and jump off the stump on his own. “You’re a free-spirited one, aren’t you? Maybe you’d have been just fine on your own…”

And so, we were on our way back to Yui. Sasakura was thankfully good about following me around and didn’t make a fuss as we traversed the forest. Perhaps my words actually did get through to him, somehow? The forest was no less of a pain to get through with a companion in tow, I still had to watch my step and make sure I didn’t bump into anything or trip over any ivy. I promised that I wouldn’t get hurt, and Yui is the last person I wish to upset right now.

“Oh! Le-Le!” said a waving Yui who had gotten up from comforting the cats left in her care. “Did you- Sasakura, too!” she shouted in excitement, dashing over to us as soon as the feline came into frame. As soon as he did so, the family of cats would soon surround us. “Ah…” I said, a realization dawning on me. “That’s why they came out here…” I smiled. ‘You’re gonna be just fine, Sasakura.’ I thought, watching as the cat in question was overwhelmed by affection I can only assume he was surprised by.

“Le-Le, you okay?” asked Yui as she looked at me with worried eyes. “Just fine.” I told her, outstretching my arms so she could examine me further. “See? Not a scratch on me.” she actually did take the time to look at me all over, my body tensing up as her eyes peered across my body. Her eyes settled on mine, her neutral look becoming an angered frown. “What? Why the look?” I asked. She brought up a finger, I tracked its movements closely as it settled on my forehead. She lightly pressed it on me, “Agh!” I yelped, a sudden pain striking me like a bolt of lightning. Yui pulled back her finger, putting a small drop of blood on full display for me to see. I guess I cut my head out there? When did that happen? “See, you are hurt!” said Yui, with an adorable pout that made her anger way too difficult to take seriously. “Guess so…” I gave a restrained reply. “Le-Le, you promised!” she reminded me. “Yeah, I know. Sorry…” I apologized sheepishly.

Immediately, Yui yanked me by the wrist, dragging me with an obscene amount of force for such a seemingly delicate-looking girl. “Wait, Yui! Where are you taking me?!” I yelled as my heels created tracks in the dirt beneath us. “Nurse’s office, of course!” she replied, not missing a beat. “Huh?!” I shouted, “It’s not that bad, Yui!” I objected, “I hardly even noticed it!” I tried to argue. “Don’t worry, Le-Le. We’ll get you patched up!” she said with an oddball smile as my words clearly fell on deaf ears. “Uh, bye, Sasakura!” I waved as the cats quickly went out of view. Did he think to say ‘goodbye’ as well, I wonder?

Thus, we found ourselves in the nurse’s office. The nurse wasn’t anywhere to be found, so it was just the two of us in a room that smelled of various chemicals as the sun was setting. It was a pitch-perfect scene for telling a girl how you feel about them, yet even so, I sat in diligent silence as I watched Yui faff about in the supply closet in her attempts to play doctor. It looked like she could get hurt a lot worse than I did if she made a single bad mistake. Somehow, she gathered everything she seemingly needed in a box, and returned with a triumphant glee as she sat in the stool placed in front of mine. She opened the box, it was filled with a number of things. I’m a little surprised that it seemed like she knew how to gather everything she may have needed.

We both didn’t say anything to each other as Yui dabbed a cloth in some rubbing alcohol, as she moved in on my cut, I mentally and physically prepared myself for the pain that was to come. “Ngh…!” I shivered as she lightly rubbed the cloth against my head. It hurt a lot, like there were several sparks going crazy in my brain, but I kept that on the down-low as best as I could so I wouldn’t worry her. As she retracted her hand, she smiled warmly at me, as if to tell me that the hard part was over now. She seemed almost like her sister in this instance, seeming much more motherly than normal.

Next, Yui very carefully took out a roll of bandages, looking up at my ‘wound’ and back down to the badges with a pair of scissors, as if to get a feel for how long the bandage should be. I could see her hands shake as she slowly snipped away at one end of the roll, until a piece finally fell off. The piece fell onto the floor, and saw her face glow in relief as she picked it up. She tends to do this when it comes to doing some ultimately pretty basic tasks, but I like seeing her like this too. The way she smiles at the most mundane things has slowly made me appreciate these slower, more uneventful moments in life. Slowly, she brought over the bandage, I couldn’t help but notice how uneven the cutting on it was as she did so. She gently pressed the bandage against my forehead, keeping her hand pressed against mine as she applied some clear tape to it. She felt really...warm.

“...Thanks.” I said, breaking the silence as I lightly poked at my freshly applied bandage. “...You’re welcome.” she replied, her voice a bit lower than normal. “You really didn’t need to, you know?” I told her. “It wasn’t that big a deal…” I said, my eyes averting hers. Yui repositioned herself in her chair. “Maybe not…” Yui said, “But Le-Le, whenever I see you in trouble, I…” she continued, myself looking back at her in confusion. “I feel this...ache in my chest, and I don’t know why…” she explained. “Wh-What…?” I blurted out as I felt my heart and mind come to a screeching halt at those words. I-Is her face red? No, that can’t be right, it must be the sunset playing tricks on my eyes. “But...I do know that I wanna make sure you’re happy, Le-Le, you and everyone else.” she said. 

“So if there’s something bothering you, I wanna help, okay?” she said, her voice getting lower with each passing. Was...was she embarrassed about saying that? But why? “Y-Yui, there’s something I have to tell you…!” I said, almost as soon as she finished saying what she just did. “H-Huh?” she looked in mild shock. “What is it…?”

“Yui, I…!” I clammed up suddenly, as if my body were holding my own thoughts hostage. I squinted and gritted my teeth as I wrestled with myself over my own resolve. She must’ve thought I looked kind of crazy right now. “I…” I can’t do this. I’m not ready at all… “I’m…” Maybe it’s too soon? Maybe I came in unprepared? 

“I’m glad I met you, too.” I weakly smiled. Yui looked at me with quiet surprise, before smiling and rolling her stool over to mine. Our knees were touching, and her eyes were so close that they were all I could really even see. The way they glimmered with such hope and adoration for life in general was overwhelming. With how close she was, I could say that she definitely was blushing, too. But I couldn’t just ask if it was because she felt the same way or not. She took my hands, interlocking our fingers together. She didn’t say or do anything else, we just sat there for a while, taking in each other’s presence. I think I understand the reason I fell in love with this girl in the first place, I just...feel at peace with her, I guess. Like I don’t have to worry about a thing when I’m with her.

That ‘full’ feeling I had earlier, I think I understand what it was now. I was just content. I may not have told her how I felt, and she may not be my girlfriend, but that’s okay. I’m happy about how we are in the present, and more importantly, so is she. If both of us are happy like this, then do things really need to change just yet? There’s no need to just jump into the thick of it like that.

“Ready to go back?” I asked her. “Everyone’s probably waiting for us by now.” I explained. “Mm-hm.” she nodded.

So, we made our way back to our clubroom, where we belonged. Indeed--Mio, Ritsu, and Mugi were all there, waiting in anticipation. “Hey, everyone!” Yui waved, with everyone else giving a wave of their own. “So, what ha--” Ritsu began, before I cut her off by raising a finger, as if to incur silence. I looked at Yui with an apologetic smile that I found difficulty faking. “Hey, Yui. I think I left my bag in the nurse’s office. Would you mind getting it for me?” I asked her. “You got it!” she said, leaving the room and hurrying to the office so that she could return to us posthaste. I leaned on the door with a smile, waiting until I could no longer hear the sound of her footsteps to address the room’s remaining members. “But Leo, your bag…” Mugi pointed, my schoolbag sitting right behind the three of them. It never actually left the room, but leave it to Yui to not notice such details. “Yeah, I know.” I said.

“So...what happened, then?” asked Mio. “Nothing happened.” I shrugged. “You mean you didn’t tell her?!” asked a gobsmacked Ritsu. “Nope.” I said plainly. “We went out to play with some cats.” I pointed to the bandage on my forehead. “I had a little accident during that, we went to the Nurse’s Office so I could get patched up, and that was everything.” I explained. “So...why didn’t you say anything?” asked Mio. “I guess I felt like I just wasn’t ready for that kind of thing, yet.” I pocketed my hands. “Neither of us are.”

I took out the gift Yui had given me for Christmas, and showed it to them. It was a simple snow globe, with two cardboard cutouts and a moon-like object hanging from the ceiling. “Ui said that if I understood this gift, I’d understand Yui better and win her over.” I gave the globe a shake, watching as the ‘snow’ danced around in its confinement. “But the truth is that I still don’t think I know Yui all that well, myself.” I looked up at the three, “But that doesn’t mean my feelings have changed at all, or that I won’t tell her how I feel.” I gave one last look at the snowglobe and saw my bittersweet smile reflect off its glass, before placing it back in my pocket. “It just means that I have to find my own way to do this, that’s all.”

“But...aren’t you worried about someone getting to her before you?” asked a concerned Mugi. “Mmm...no.” I said calmly. “I don’t think I am, actually.” I said, recalling the way she’d carefully patched me up in the nurse’s office. I think she’d have done that with any of us, really, but part of me wants to think that I somehow got ‘special treatment’, or something. “Well...I guess there’s not much more to it than that.” sighed Ritsu. “I’m sorry, guys. After all that trouble you went through, too…” I said, bowing. “No need, if you’re not ready, then you aren’t ready.” Mio said with a smile. “Mm-hm! We’re with you, no matter what!” said a peppy Mugi. “...Thanks a lot, you guys.” I said abashedly.

I’ve still a ways to go before I’m the person I wish to be, but I think I’ll still be alright.


	16. A Day Like Any Other

After school, the clubroom smelled of freshly brewed tea as its club members chatted away at various topics that I didn’t quite get. Once again, there was no practicing or music playing to speak of. The only thing resembling a melody that came from this room was the rhythmic tapping of rain droplets hitting the window. All of these were signs of today being just like any other day for the Light Music Club.

“Ah, damn it!” I said, looking at my portable console’s screen with a frown. “Lost again, huh?” asked Ritsu, who had some interest in the game I was playing due to having played a prior entry in the series and being similarly frustrated by its high difficulty. “Yep…” I sighed, “Six games in and this series still isn’t pulling any punches...But I was close that time!” I told her. “I will not get this red-headed adventurer killed again, Falcom.” I told the game that, of course, said nothing back. “Maybe what you need is a boost, Leo.” said Mugi, taking out a white box wrapped in pink decorations. “Oh, is it that time already?” Ritsu arose from her seat, her head bobbing back and forth in delight. “What’s today’s flavor, Mugi?” asked Yui, matching Ritsu’s head bobbing. “Let’s see, shall we?” said Mugi, her hands resting on the sides of the box as she kept us all waiting.

Slowly, she lifted the box’s lid, revealing to us a cake covered in modest white icing with strawberries crowning its top and its many layers. Strawberry Shortcake, a regular treat for us. The light in Ritsu’s eyes dulled as she slowly slithered back into her seat. "Oh.” she said, without a hint of emotion. “Is something the matter, Ritsu?” asked Mugi. “It’s nothing, it’s just…” Ritsu began, holding a hand against her head as if to collect her thoughts. “This is the third time this week, aren’t you a little sick of it?” she said. “Huh?” Mugi tilted her head, not privy to her own obsession. “What do you mean?” she asked, examining the cake more thoroughly, as if to gauge what could possibly be wrong with it despite how picturesque it was. “I don’t think I get it, either…” said Yui, laying her head down as the bright red of the strawberries bounced off her eyes. “It’s just...variety is the spice of life, y’know? Why don’t we mix it up a little more?” asked Ritsu, giving what I think was supposed to be a visual demonstration with her hands.

“It sounds to me like you’re just being ungrateful.” said Mio, leaning over the cake with a knife. “What? No way! Leo, help me out here!” Ritsu said, suddenly elbowing my sides. “Wait, huh?” I said, my back against the wall as everyone suddenly looked towards me, seeking a second opinion. “Um, well…” I mused, thinking about the possible outcomes depending on what I say. I’m equally sick of Strawberry Shortcake, to be frank, but I can’t tell Mugi that, at least not in a straightforward manner. I’ve not seen Mugi particularly upset or angry with me before, and I’m too afraid to start now. Maybe I should just drop hints? “W-Well, food is food…” I said. “And Mugi’s going out of her way to get this for us, maybe we should just say thanks?” I said, swallowing. “Ah…” Yui gasped suddenly. “Thank you for the food…!” she said solemnly, bringing her arms together in prayer. “That’s not quite what he meant…” sighed Mio. “Well, she’s got the spirit, at least…” I said.

“Oh…!” Yui said, closing her prayer and redirecting her attention towards the cake. “Can I cut it, please?” she said, her eyes sparkling as her fingers liberally wiggled towards the knife. “Someone stop her, please.” Ritsu said bluntly. “Huh?!” Yui shouted in disbelief. “Why…?” she whined. “You know ‘why’.” said Mio, pointing the knife towards Yui with a steely demeanor. “Your slices always end up incredibly uneven and sloppy…” she said, causing Yui to turn her head in embarrassment. “Well, that’s just because…” Yui began, her voice instantly cracking under Mio’s intense pressure. “Save it.” Mio coldly interrupted. A bit harsh today, aren’t we? “And by the way, don’t think I haven’t noticed that you always ‘coincidentally’ give yourself the biggest slices.” Mio continued, shedding light on the truth that acted as repellent for any further defense from Yui. “She’s been doing what?!” said Ritsu, surprised as Yui’s schemes went completely undetected by her. I noticed that she’s been doing that some time ago, but if it meant I had to eat less of the same stuff so often, I was willing to ignore it.

“A-Ahaha…” Yui let out a broken laughter as she slowly turned to me. “Le-Le, help me out…?” she said, each word making my hair stand as Mio’s glare suddenly found its way to me. “Why am I suddenly the middle man today?” I asked, scooching my seat away from Yui so I could have some breathing room. “I don’t see the harm in letting Yui cut it.” said Mugi, intervening in my little dilemma. “Huh?” said Mio, her expression becoming one of confusion. “B-But...Mugi…?” Mio said, her grip on the knife she was holding visibly weakening as if she knew she had to comply with Mugi’s wishes. “Well, it’s just that…” Mugi looked inquisitively, “She’ll never get better at cake cutting if she doesn’t have experience, so why not let her get better now?” she said, smiling, as if she reached some sort of strange resolution. Your logic is almost as simple as the girl you’re defending, Mugi. “Besides, when she becomes a wife, she’ll have to know how to do these kinds of things…” Mugi turned to me. “...right?”

I felt my entire face go up in blazes at her implication. Just how far in the future does Mugi intend to look, exactly? Ritsu and Mio had anxious looks on their faces, Ritsu doing her best to hold a smirk and Mio frowning as she was even more confused than before. Yui, of course, held the most clueless smile on her face as she looked at her friend. “Well, even if I’m still bad at it then, I could always just have Ui do it!” she said, her wholehearted tone shattering the tension of the room as Mio, Ritsu, and myself let out a sigh. “Anyway…” I said, “Since Mugi bought the cake, we’ll do as she wants.” I declared, with no objections being given. Suddenly, Ritsu leaned towards me, her lips almost pressed up against my ear. “Getting a head start on that, huh?” she whispered with that same annoying grin. “Sh-Shut it!” I whispered back, moving my head out of her range.

Knife in hand, Yui slowly closed in on the cake with trepidation. “Slowly, slowly…” she kept repeating to herself as the knife went downward. “Slowly, slowly…” she said again, cutting the cake to its center. We watched in silent anticipation as Yui continued on. As the cake was now cut in two halves, she spun the box it was sitting on around, preparing to cut it into fourths. Mio and Ritsu moved in closer, probably watching to see if she’ll make any suspect movements. I wanted to tell them that doing that would only make her more nervous and more prone to mistakes, but talking would break the silence and thus, her concentration. I guess the only thing I can do is sit back and hope for the best. Mugi watched with a hapless look, as if she weren’t even the one who technically incurred this suspense. 

“Phew…” sighed Yui as she successfully managed to cut the cake into a largely even six slices. “It's ready, everyone…!" she said with a proud smile. "Had us on the edge of our seats, there." said Ritsu, leaning in to look at the finished results. It was still a little lopsided, but it was a considerable improvement over her previous efforts regardless. “Geez…” sighed Mio as she held her no doubt throbbing head, “Yui, we’re almost second-years...How long do you intend on having us baby you like this?” Mio asked, sitting up in her seat with unease. “Good job, Yui!” said Mugi, standing with both her hands facing Yui. “Yay!” Mugi and Yui said, clapping their hands together in celebration. “Don’t ignore me!” said Mio, who, despite all her efforts, was still very much being ignored. “Heh…” I chuckled. When did the antics of these girls become so expected for me, I wonder? 

With each of us taking a slice of cake, the room was once again in its usual state of calm. “So, I was thinking…” Mio started, cutting off a small portion of her cake. “Maybe after this, we could start practicing again? We haven’t done that in some time.” she said. “Mmm…” Ritsu lazily hummed in response, “I dunno. The rain is kinda killing the vibe, yeah?” she said, resting her head on the table as if it were a pillow. “Hard to practice like this…” she said, her eyes traveling to nowhere in particular. “That’s a lame excuse, even for you.” I said, poking at my cake, not really wanting to eat it. Mio gave a defeated sigh, “I sometimes wonder what this club’s name is even good for.” she said, staring out the rained window as if it really were the culprit of our laziness. In truth, if it wasn’t that, it would be something else to keep us from playing. 

“It’s not just Yui...All of us are going to be second-years soon, yet we have so little to show for it in terms of growth…” Mio said, “You all lack motivation, and I’m complacent in that.” she continued, pointing at herself in shame. “Why the concern? Not like we’re turning into bona fide adults tomorrow.” said Ritsu, kicking back in her chair. “She probably just wants us to set a good example for our eventual underclassmen.” I guessed. “Exactly.” said Mio without a hitch. “How are we meant to be figures that they can look up to if all we do here is eat cake and drink tea?” she said, taking a bite out of her cake and realizing that she just became her own worst enemy. “Oh, underclassmen!” Yui said, looking towards the room’s ceiling with sudden glee. “Why don’t we have some of them join our club?” she asked. “Our club is on the small side.” I agreed. “Our last recruitment effort only bagged us Leo, but with so many fresh faces around, we’re bound to get at least a few, right?” said Ritsu. I could only shoot her a glare that she ignored, what does she mean by only Leo?

“Yeah, alright then!” Ritsu said, jumping from her seat. “I’m feeling motivated now! Let’s try our best to get us some first-years!” she said, thumping her chest passionately. “R-Really…?” said Mio, looking at her friend with a newfound respect. “Mm-hm!” replied Ritsu, “Starting tomorrow.” she said, her previous energy nowhere to be seen as she slumped back into her seat. “You know what? I blame myself for not knowing any better.” said Mio, her tranquil fury making me fear for Ritsu’s immediate safety. “L-Let’s just focus on our snacks for now.” said Mugi, wanting to maintain a semblance of peace. 

I promptly took a bite then after. It tasted...perfectly normal, actually. “Hm…” I breathed with the fork still jammed in my mouth. “Something the matter, Leo?” asked Mugi. “Nothing, tastes great.” I replied. 

As I took another bite, I couldn’t help but think back to the first time I’d tried Strawberry Shortcake. It wasn’t long after Yui and I became friends, and our group became a whole five. To celebrate, Mugi brought in Strawberry Shortcake just a couple of days later. When I took my first bite, my eyes apparently lit up like fireworks, according to the girls. It was as if I were eating something from an entirely different world, the flavor smothered me in a way that I was oddly okay with, much like this little group of ours did initially. Maybe that’s why, despite the absolute repetition of the flavor that I’m consuming, I’m okay with it. I’m eating it less so for the act of eating, but more for the kinds of memories and feelings it can elicit within me. This is what’s called ‘comfort food’, right?

“Ah…” I looked down at the unpleasant sound of my fork scraping against the plate. Despite my initial reservations towards eating it, my plate was emptied in no time at all. “Guess I was hungrier than I thought…” I said, lackadaisical as I twirled my fork about. "Well, they say thinking makes you hungrier." said Mio. "And you definitely had your thinkin' face on." said Ritsu, pointing the end of her fork at me with an intrigued look. "I guess I was thinking sort of hard, huh?" I said. "What's got you like that?" asked Mugi. 

"W-Well...It's just, we're about to become second-years, and…" my eyes looked down as I suddenly found myself unable to look at the girls. Is this guilt, or some other odd emotion? "...I guess I just never thought I'd make it this far." I admitted. The girls looked at me with smiles and varying degrees of other such emotions. “Leo,” Ritsu began, looking at me somewhat apologetically. “We have got to teach you how to keep your melodrama in check.” she giggled with sincerity. “Sorry,” I said. “I guess that is a little annoying, huh?” I leaned back. 

“It’s fine, we’ve all got our quirks.” said Mio. “Yui, for instance...” she said, bringing a hand over to the now singled out Yui. “...has her tardiness.” she said, with a slight hint of remorse. “M-Mio…!” whined Yui in slight embarrassment. “Why even fight it? Everyone knows it’s true.” said Ritsu in a smug response. “I could give you more bath salts, if you’d like.” said Mugi, patting a mortified Yui on the back. “Don’t you need two people for that?” I asked. “She can’t exactly use it on herself when she’s asleep.” I continued. “She can just get Ui to do it.” shrugged Ritsu. “Oh, that’s right! Your sister will be coming here next year!” said Mugi, suddenly excited. “I’d almost forgotten.” I admitted. “How could you?” Ritsu asked. “With the way Yui cried when she heard the news, it’s pretty much impossible not to.” said Mio. “Why is everyone so mean today?” cried Yui.

A smile formed across my face as I recalled the moment we’d heard the news. Ui made it into the school, and with flying colors at that. I once again had found myself questioning how these two could possibly be sisters outside of their looks. Genetics sure are fascinating. Anyway, after we got the news, we wanted to congratulate her, but Yui’s endless bawling had us completely dumbstruck. She couldn’t let go of Ui at all, I feared that she would choke the poor girl to death. She kept going on and on about how she was worried that she’d be separated from her sister. I dunno where this worry could have stemmed from, though. If Yui made it in, then surely there was no question that Ui would be able to get in as well, right?

“Don’t you want to set a good example for your sister, Yui?” asked Mio. “Huh…?” Yui weakly let out as she wiped a tear from her eye. “Not much of an example to set.” Ritsu interjected. “Ui’s definitely doing all the heavy lifting between those two.” she stated matter-of-factly. “Oh, Ui’s such a good girl.” said Mugi. “I hope she’s willing to join us." she said, looking to Yui as if to ask her to convince her own sibling. "Well, she's definitely who our club would need if we wanna get motivated." I said. "Someone as hardworking as her can't be as easily swatted aside as Mio."

"And what do you mean by that?" said a slightly irritated Mio. "I mean that with Ui around, you won't be as overpowered by our group's laziness." I said. "Strength in numbers, and all that." said Ritsu, backing me up. "Exactly." I pointed at her. “No matter how much you may want something, you won’t have much influence if you’re the only one who wants it.” I explained, twirling my finger. “With us, deciding things always ends up turning into a tug-of-war. And that in of itself is just a numbers game.” I said, looking over to Yui as I felt my face begin to tense a little. “The only problem is how much Ui is gonna still baby this one.” I said, pointing at Yui. “I-I’ll make sure she doesn’t…” said Yui, flagging me down.

Suddenly and boldly, the clubroom door was smashed open, I wouldn't be surprised if it got damaged somehow. The loud crash startled the five of us as our attention was drawn towards the culprit. It was none other than Sawako, who was a sweatied mess. "Jeez, Ms. Sawako!" Ritsu scolded. "Can't you be a little more gentle?! Nearly gave us friggin' heart attacks!" she said, teeth clenched. "S-sorry…Something big..." Sawako said, slowly making her way to our table as her legs looked as if they were about to give way beneath her. "M-Ms. Sawako, are you feeling alright?" said a concerned Mugi, moving in on the person in question to escort them to a vacant seat. Now seated, Sawako took some deep breaths before reaching for the remaining piece of strawberry shortcake and gobbling it down in record time, much to Yui and Mugi's visible dismay. "Ah! We were gonna play rock-paper-scissors for that!" cried Yui.

Still not fully recovered, Sawako reached for the panda teacup. "H-Hey!" I shouted as she swallowed its contents and gave a satisfied exhale as she placed it back on the table. "Sorry 'bout that, everyone." she said, now seemingly recovered as she slid the cup back over to me, its owner. I could only reel back in disgust at the cup as my eyes were locked on the spot she took a sip from, which was covered in faint lipstick. I pondered if I should just throw the cup out and have it replaced as I also thought about the amounts of soap it might take to reclaim the cup's innocence. "What was that whole scene about…?" asked Mio, still a little frightened from Sawako's sudden appearance. "You were in a big hurry. Did something come up?" 

"Actually, yes…" Sawako said, digging through her handbag with red hot eyes. Yui, Ritsu, and Mugi looked on in excitement as Mio and I could only look in what was, at best, anxiety. "Here!" said Sawako, pulling out a colorful-looking pamphlet. It featured instruments covered in fire, and the word 'Rocking!' above some kanji that I was unfortunately unable to make out. The poster was loud and rambunctious, almost as if a child made it. "Rocking! The Fire King's Explosive Ring of Sound." said Mio as she read the title. "That's quite a name." I said. "What's this about?" said Ritsu, grappling the pamphlet to inspect it further. "Your next gig." said Sawako, proudly huffing as she lifted her glasses. I could only be suspicious of her motives. There's no way she's actually doing her job as our advisor with no caveats, right?

"Gig? You make it sound like a job or something." said Ritsu, equally skeptical. "Well...there is gonna be money involved." she said, the sheen from her glasses blocking what was undoubtedly a scheming look in her eyes. "Really?!" Yui moved in closer, wanting to hear more of this 'dream gig'. Mio tried to hide a smile as she also moved in, just a little. "B-But doesn't this seem a little...ambitious?" said Mio. Sawako cleared her throat, stating "Maybe. But this whole concerto is pretty much just amateur hour, anyway. The whole point of it is for blooming bands to really start growing and getting their name out there. So trust me, you won't look that out of place." 

"So, have we got a deal?" Sawako said, propping up her already corrected glasses for dramatic effect. Ritsu gripped the paper harder, wrinkling its edges. "That's...awfully tempting." she said, her voice shaky.

"What's our cut?" I asked, cutting off everyone's train of thought, Sawako herself caught off guard. "Um…" she said, taking a step back as her confident demeanor went up in smoke. Busted. "Oh, yeah! I guess that would be important to know that, too." said Ritsu. "Ah, well...according to the rules of the concerto…" Sawako said with a gulp, taking a step or two back with each word until her back was figuratively and literally against the wall. She cleared her throat, her demeanor suddenly becoming more composed in what I could only assume was some last ditch effort to save face. "Minors and High Schoolers unfortunately can’t get paid by the corporation involved, so…” she said. “And there it is.” I said almost immediately. “What are you playing at, here…?” asked Mio, a little disappointed. “Should I explain?” I asked, Sawako glaring at me for foiling her little plot. “Oh, don’t let me tread all over your little moment.” she said, raising her arms as if to tell me I were all clear.

“She was trying to get us to work for her, we wouldn’t have seen any profit for ourselves.” I explained, much to the shock of the rest of the club, save for Mugi. "You some kind of slave driver, now?" I asked. "Oh, don't be like that." replied Sawako. "This would obviously still be for the benefit of everyone in here." she said. "Those benefits are soundin' pretty lopsided." said Ritsu, puffing her cheeks in defiance. "Why even get our hopes up like that…?" asked Mio. “I dunno, it still sounds really fun!” said Mugi. I guess being rich makes you immune to the idea of labor exploitation, or something? “Don’t encourage her.” Mio said softly. “Well, even if we aren’t getting paid…” said Yui, who sounded like she was about to side with Mugi and Sawako.

“As Club President, and our band’s de facto leader, I use my power to veto this!” said Ritsu, dramatically shredding the pamphlet into tons of tiny pieces, before finally tossing the shreddings in the air like makeshift confetti, much to Sawako’s horror. “No!” Sawako sorrowfully shouted, her hands weakly grabbing at the pamphlet’s many shreddings as she tried to piece together her very much broken dream. “I guess that puts a lid on that.” I said. “Well, at least Ritsu’s doing her job.” sighed Mio, looking down at both Yui and Mugi as they looked in sadness at the shreddings on the floor, pondering what could have been had we’d all agreed to Sawako’s plan. I almost feel bad for rejecting it as harshly as I did, but it had to be done, if not for my own sake, then all of ours. “It’s been nearly four months since your first and only performance, you know.” said Sawako. “How long do you intend to keep the world waiting on your next performance, anyway?”

“Patience makes perfect.” replied Ritsu. “It’s practice makes perfect.” Mio said, immediately correcting her. “And we haven’t been doing much of that at all, especially lately.” she scolded. “Ugh, I sure hope whatever first-years we get won’t be so uptight about this like you.” said Ritsu. “I’m only ‘uptight’ about it because we have absolutely no drive whatsoever.” said Mio, stamping her foot to give herself more ground. “Whatever next year brings to this club is bound to make things messier than it already is.” I said. “I get the feeling things are only gonna get harder from here, even with new club members.” I rested my arm on the table. “Indeed, the closer you get to adulthood, the more responsibilities life will throw at you.” Sawako said sagely. “So live it up while you can, kiddos.”

At those words, we all exchanged looks of slight melancholy. As much as we’ve indulged in these simple days, they truly won’t last forever. It won’t be today, and it won’t be tomorrow, but one day, our time in this club room will come to a close. So in that time, maybe it is for the best that we make the most of it. “Hey…” Yui’s voice rang, catching the attention of all of us. “Why don’t we go into town and have some fun?” she said, giving a smile that was meant more for us than herself. “What’s this all about?” I asked. “Mmm…” Yui hummed, thinking momentarily. “Just ‘cuz!” she replied with more enthusiasm than before. “That certainly sounds like Yui, alright.” Mugi replied. “Well, what are we waiting for, then?” Ritsu said, arising from her seat as she promptly grabbed her bag and headed towards the door. Once again, we all found ourselves following the single-minded guidance of Yui Hirasawa, against all better judgement. As we exited, I took one quick glance at Sawako, who diligently watched over our room. She gave a wave, as well as a genuine smile that had a slight tinge of envy to it. I gave a small wave back as I closed the door behind me.

The hallways were empty, as most students were already long gone by this point in the day. It was just the five of us, and the pitter-patter of our echoing footsteps throughout the quiet hallways. Or at least, the hallways would be quiet, if I were stuck with any other group of girls besides this one. “Hmm, not much really happened today, huh?” said Yui. “Hm?” Ritsu’s body suddenly straightened, as if she were a little insulted by Yui’s stray comment. “Whaddya mean? Today was just like most other days we had!” Ritsu shot back. “We really have set a rather awful precedent for ourselves if you can say that so casually…” Mio sighed, holding her poor, aching head. “Oh, it’s not so bad.” I laughed. “Time we enjoy wasting isn’t really wasted at all, if you think about it.” I said. “That sounds like something Yui would say.” said Mio.

“It’s totally true, though!” said Yui, who I exchanged smiles with a second later. “That’s why this group is so much fun to be around!” said Mugi. “I suppose…” said Mio, whose lips arched upwards ever so slightly. “Yup, even though we’re gonna go through some big changes next year, that’ll still be the core of this club!” declared, raising her fists into the air as she stretched. “Work hard, play hard. That should be our motto!”

Amidst our chatter, we arrived outside of the school. “Hey, the rain’s gone!” said Yui, running outside onto the wet brick flooring, with Ritsu and Mugi running behind her, cheering at the fact that not so much as a single cloud in the sky remained. “Hey, wait for me!” said Mio, running behind as playfully splashed in a puddle. I watched in silence as the sunlight danced upon the small droplets of water that she’d kicked up.

Looking up to meet the sun, I couldn’t help but notice how much different the sky looked from only a few hours earlier. It looked like it was about to storm, but now it’s almost as if the day were always this peaceful. The only signs of there ever being any rain at all were the puddles that were placed all throughout the ground, and the way the blues of the sky happily reflected off the small bodies of water. I took a step forward and watched my face in the reflection. Despite the slight rippling, I’d never seen so much honesty exude from myself. Like, I didn’t have to hide myself or fake who I was to get by. That isn’t me. Not anymore.

What Ritsu mentioned earlier, about change...She’s both right and wrong, in some ways. We, as people, simply expect change because life is unpredictable. That change can be a blessing, or it can be cruel. These changes bring about different emotions and reactions in people, and that’s ultimately what shapes people into who they are. It can be scary, and it can be unpredictable…

But isn’t that what life is all about, anyway? Laughing with people, arguing with them...Doing exciting and risky things together, eating together, playing together, learning from each other. Talking about how we’ve changed so much in such a short period of time when, in reality, we really haven’t changed all that much at all. Rather, with each day, it’s bit-by-bit. Humans don’t even notice when they actually have changed beyond surface-level level things. It’s something that creeps up on you, and takes hold of you before you even know it.

This only begs one question, though…

As I’m looking at the four girls who stood by the school gate, awaiting my arrival, the same four girls who’ve given me so many headaches, so many hardships, so many memories, and so much love...I start to wonder...when did this monochromatic world of mine…

...become so full of color?


	17. Square One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Light Music club begin a new year with a pair of new faces in tow

As I exited the train station, I couldn't help but notice how much crispier the air tasted today. The sky breathed a fresh pink hue as the sun had barely begun the long day ahead of it. The road ahead is still certainly a long one, but as I look back, I realize I've covered too much ground to up and throw in the towel here. Ah, what am I even saying? It's the first day of my second year of high school, yet I still think these strange thoughts. Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same, I suppose. 

Once again, I'm Leo Katnua. I'm a second-year student attending Sakuragaoka Girls High School, where I'm currently the only male in attendance. Way too much has happened over the last year for me to go over here, but to keep it brief, I’m currently a member of the school’s Light Music Club, of which we form five total. We don’t really do much at all in it, but we seem content with it this way.

Right now, I’m on my way to school earlier than normal. I’m supposed to be meeting someone today, but the details were kept deliberately vague on who this mystery person even was. Thanks for that, Sawako. But I guess walking this early in the morning was nice, there wasn’t a soul around aside from the occasional car that drove past me. “Ahhh…!” I exhaled, spreading my arms as I took in the winds of the new school year, flapping my arms as if I were one of the birds that populated the sky. Overcome by some compulsion, I spun on one foot, my arms still outstretched. I found myself laughing, probably at myself, as I whipped up a modest gale with my own force. Why do I feel this way? Am I more excited than I thought, perhaps?

“Times like these really are the best!” I laughed, still spinning as my legs slowly etched a trail towards the school. “No one around, and no one to judge me! I can do whatever I want! Haha!” 

“Uh…” the voice of an unknown assailant descended upon my ears. I immediately turned to her, normalizing my position as if what I were doing weren’t incredibly weird. ‘Oh, thank goodness…’ I thought as I examined her, she wasn't anyone I knew. Black hair in twintails and reddish-brown eyes, a shy disposition, and judging from the color from her ribbon, she was a first year at…”Sakuragaoka…” I sighed. Why did a first-year at my school have to see me? "Um…" she repeated, not knowing where to go off at my little show. Not that I could blame her. "Uh, hi…?" I said, breaking the thin ice I'd stood upon. “...Hm…” said the girl with trepidation. “Oh…!” she said, inching closer. “I know you from somewhere…” she said, her emotion warping to curiosity as she etched ever closer to me. “Y-You do…?” I said, the girl’s look causing me to freeze up. She wasn’t ringing any bells for me, but if she knows me, it could cause some problems if she brings what I was doing up with other people in school…

“Oh!” she said, her eyes lighting up in an oddly excited way as I guess she remembered where she’d seen me. “I remember now! You were at the Winter Festival. The Light Music Club’s performance!” she said. “Um, yeah…” I said, confirming her suspicion. “That’s right, I was there...I’m surprised you’d remember me, though.” I said, somewhat embarrassed. I figured that if anyone would be remembered from our performance, it would be Mio or Yui. “You were the only boy there, how could I not?” she asked. “Guess you’ve got a point, there.” I admitted. “But wait, what are you doing out here so early…?” she asked. “I could ask you the same thing.” I replied.

The girl shuffled her school bag over her shoulder, holding onto it a bit more comfortably as she smiled at me. “Ah, you see, it’s my first day of high school. My school, Sakuragaoka, is holding an assembly for us first-years.” she said. Right, I remember the girls mentioning that they had to go to an assembly on their first day as well, though unlike Yui’s account, this girl seems much more calm about her first day. “I thought I would make a good impression by showing up early.” she continued. “Oh, so we’re heading to the same place, then.” I told her, to which she could only bob her head in confusion. “Huh? But I thought Sakuragaoka was…” she started. “Yeah, yeah. Long story, I know.” I said, scratching my hair in passing bemusement. I hope I won’t get too many freshmen asking me this same question. “The short of it is…” I started, reaching a hand out to her in the hopes that she would accept me. “I’m going to the same school as you.” I said, my voice cracking slightly. 

“Huh…” her eyes widened in slight surprise, before settling on a familial look as she reached out to me, gripping my hand with a firmness that told me she had high expectations of me. “It’s good to know that one of the members of the club I’ll be joining is as forward as you.” she said, her intentions giving me pause. “Oh, really? What made you consider wanting to join us…?” I asked her. “Ah, well, I…” she stammered. Is that a tinge of embarrassment I hear in her voice? What’s got her so flustered, I wonder?

“Beep-beep-beep!” went the sudden sound of a digital alarm. I rolled up my sleeve to check my wristwatch, but… "I don't remember setting another alarm…" I said, looking down at my still normal clock. “Ah!” said the girl in front of me, looking down at her alarm with slight panic. “I really gotta get going!” she said, turning around and making a mad dash in the school's general direction. It's barely even 7AM. Who in the world is she trying to impress right now? "I'll see you later, senpai!" she yelled, clearly wanting in breath. "Uh…" I subconsciously let out at that last word.

"She called me 'senpai'." I said, holding the back of my neck as I watched the girl disappear from view, her pigtails bobbing up and down in the wind as she did so. "Cool." I said, smiling lightly as I felt myself get a little bit older. 

Some time passed, and I found myself at the school. I didn’t see the girl again on my way here, but I’m pretty sure the assembly hadn’t even started when I arrived. I wonder where she’s hiding?

I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the faculty room door, holding onto its handle. “Alright, here goes…” I opened the door to the room, and for once, it was full of teachers frantically preparing for the year ahead of them. Documents and various other things were strewn about the place, and it seemed like there was a good amount of infighting as well from all the shouting. I thought Sawako was the only teacher like this, but maybe everyone else just hides this better than she does? God, am I gonna be like this as an adult, too?

“Hey, Leo! Over here!” said an unfortunately familiar voice. It was Sawako, waving at me with a full smile as her voice pierced through the chatter of the other teachers. I walked over to her desk, which was ironically quite clean compared to the chaos of the rest of the room. “Good morning to you.” she said, swiveling her chair to face me. Her pleasant voice only made me more suspicious of whatever she was planning. “Um, good morning, Ms. Sawako.” I replied back. “You seem a bit...different?” I told her. “Oh, really?” she said, holding her head with her hands. “Whatever do you mean, sweet Leo?” she said, her voice suddenly becoming even sweeter. God, you are so fake. “Yeah, whatever…” I said, squeezing my nose. “So where’s this mystery person I’m supposed to be meeting?” I asked her. “Patience, dear Leo. I actually had them run a little errand for me. They should be back soon.” 

“Wait, you had them run an errand…? That seems a little-” I started, before being interrupted at the perfect time at the sound of the room’s door opening once more. “I’m back, Ms. Sawako!” said an unfamiliar, somewhat masculine voice.“Ah, speak of the devil.” said Sawako, tilting her head to look past me. I turned around to face the mystery figure. It was… “Another guy?” I asked, getting a good look at him. He was around my age, if not somewhat younger. He had short hair and a welcoming, yet disciplined demeanor. The air about him was strangely calming. He was wearing a Sakuragaoka uniform, a new male student? “You got my coffee? Already?” asked Sawako, somewhat shocked. “Yes. It was no trouble at all!” he said, holding out a cup towards her. The rich brown waves didn’t move so much as an inch as he handed her the saucer with the coffee mug sitting atop it. Has he got experience doing this kind of thing?

“You had him bring you coffee…?” I asked. “Is he a student or a staff member…?” I looked at him, bewildered. Though his happy-go-lucky expression stood unchanging. “Let’s put this coffee of yours to the test.” said Sawako, ignoring me as her glasses fogged up from the coffee’s light steam. “I’m sure it will be to your liking.” he said. Sawako swiveled the cup about as I think she was contemplating the taste, eventually bringing the mug towards her lips and taking a modest sip. She leaned back in her chair, not saying a word or giving any kind of emote as she took in the coffee’s flavor. Finally, a gulp, and a satisfied exhale. “Yep…” she said simply. “Definitely the best cup of Joe I’ve ever had.” she said, placing the mug back on its saucer. “Thank you. Your words are humbling.” replied the male student with a graceful bow. “How do you do it? Some kind of secret recipe you’re not filling me on?” asked Sawako. “No tricks.” the student ensured her. “Just experience, that’s all.”

“That’s all well and good, but…” I started, pointing at the male student. “Who is this guy, anyway?” I asked, utterly confused at what I just witnessed. “Right, I suppose introductions are in order.” said Sawako, pointing at the student. “If you would do the honors.”

“Yes, ma’am.” he said, going into attention as his eyes suddenly locked onto me. “My name is Inuko Yuki. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Leo Katnua.” he said, giving another graceful bow. “U-uh, pleasure’s all mine…” I said, returning the bow. What’s with this guy’s formality…? Well, whatever. At least he seems friendly. “Wait a second…” I said, looking up at him in realization. “You know my name?” I asked in slight shock. “I already filled him in on everything.” said Sawako, patting me on the back. “But to keep a long story short, as of today, you are no longer the only male student in attendance at Sakuragaoka.”

“Huh…?” I gasped. I felt a weight come off me at those words, but at the same time, part of me felt a little sad that such weight was gone. “Really? So the experiment involving me was deemed a success, then?” I asked her, scratching my cheek. I’d forgotten there was even meant to be an experiment involving me, guess the Light Music Club’s antics can make a guy forget some things. “Just the opposite, actually. You yourself are actually rather unappealing to the girls here.” said Sawako, looking away from me as she said her incredibly harsh, but probably words. Damn it, I see you trying to hide that smile! “Your problem is that you’re not very outgoing when it comes to meeting new people and making new friends.” she continued. “If not for that club of ours, I doubt you’d even have so much as a single friend to call your own.” Again, harsh, but probably true. “Ouch, getting a bit real today, aren’t we?” I asked, failing to hold back a frown. “I’m just relaying the headmaster’s own words, that’s all.” she said. Liar. That sounded way too personal to be the thoughts of anyone but you. 

“So,” she wheeled her chair over to Inuko. “It was decided that we’d bring in someone the ladies couldn’t resist. Someone responsible, charming, easy to get along with, and good-looking most of all…” she said, counting his traits on her fingers. Should someone her age be saying that about a high schooler? “That’s where Yuki Inuko comes in. Don’t worry, he’ll be picking up your slack.” she said, patting him on the back as Inuko stood in slight embarrassment. “I wouldn’t really say I’m any of those things, as much as I would like to be…” said Inuko. “See?!” Sawako looked at me, giving Inuko a few hard pats on the back in a way that I’m surprised didn’t annoy him. “He’s even modest, too! He’s the full package! I doubt you’d even need to be here to have the experiment be a success.” she said, annoying me as I felt various inadequacies crawl up my skin. “Okay, so why am I?” I asked.

“Well, since you’ve already got experience in this trade, I thought you should be the one to show him the ropes and get him accustomed to this sort of thing.” said Sawako. “Um, that is, if you don’t mind…?” he said, his eyes averting mine for whatever reason. Is he not the type to ask for favors? “Plus, it’ll be a good opportunity for you two to bond. It’s important that you two can maintain a good friendship. It’d be weird if the only two guys in school hated each other.” as she said that, I got another glance at Inuko, who held an apologetic smile as even he knew how ridiculous that sounded. This guy doesn’t seem like he’d hurt a fly. If he can take Sawako’s antics, he could probably take anything. “Right, right…” I pretended to agree for the sake of moving things along. “So, what? Is he gonna like, shadow me or something?” I asked. “I still have my own classes and responsibilities to attend to, so I’ll be out of your way for the majority of the day. But, if you would, could you please show me around during free time? I would very much appreciate it.” 

“Easy enough. Sure.” I said. “Think of him as your...understudy, or your protege!” said Sawako, having a lot of fun with this for some reason. “I am in your debt, Leo-senpai.” he said with another bow. There’s that word again. “Um, just ‘Leo’ is fine.” I told him, putting up a hand to put him at ease. “Ah, alright. Leo-”

At Inuko’s words, the school’s AV systems went off as a voice was about to speak. Is it me, or is being cut off a trend today? “Attention, attention.” a voice spoke from the room’s intercom. “Would all first-year students please head to the school auditorium? Assembly for first-years will begin in ten minutes.” said the voice, her reminder echoing throughout the room. Some of the teachers suddenly became more panicked at her words, I guess they’re not ready just yet. “Well? Off you go, Inuko. You two can chat more later.” said Sawako. “Yes, ma’am.” he said with a bow. What is with this guy? “Goodbye, it was nice meeting you, Leo.” he said, waving as he turned around and headed out the room. “Yeah, same here.” I said, returning his wave.

“You ought to be heading off, too.” she said. “If you’re late for homeroom, you might miss out on getting your seat next to Yui.” she said, waving me off as if telling me to get moving. “Ah, you’re right!” I said, not wanting to miss my chance and immediately heading towards the door. “Wait!” I shouted, my feet grinding to a stop as I turned around and headed straight back towards Sawako with a darkened expression. “How did YOU learn about that?!” I asked, causing something of a role reversal from my first day of school. “Oh, dear Leo…” she said, her eyes averting mine as she cracked an abhorrent smile. “You really shouldn’t trust Ritsu of all people with such...delicate information.” 

I felt the blood in my head reach critical mass as I wasn’t sure to be angry or embarrassed at what she’d told me. Either way, Ritsu and I need to have a little ‘talk’ later. “Just do not tip Yui off about this, alright? Under no circumstance, please.” I said, tapping my foot impatiently. “My lips are sealed.” Sawako said, turning around her chair so as to not face me. “I may find you kind of troublesome at times, but even I wouldn’t impede on something as sacred as high school romance despite that. Believe me, I know how hard it can be.” she said, I couldn’t see her face to tell me if those words were sincere. Though given her prior history, maybe they really are… “I-It’s not romance…!” I said, suddenly even more flustered. “Then what would you call it? A simple crush? Unrequited love?” she asked, turning back around with an uncharacteristically focused face. “I don’t know what I’d call it, alright?” I barked back. “Just...give me some time to work this out for myself, please?” I asked her.

Sawako gave a disappointed sigh, “Fine, I suppose not much can really be done at this point in time, anyway.” she said, shooing me away. “Now go on. Scram.”

I did as she asked me, and headed straight for my classroom, now on the second floor instead of the first. On the way there, I noticed that the hallways were more full than before, I guess everyone’s trying to start the new year off strong? Yeah, no. That won’t last long, we’ll fall back into our bad habits sooner or later. 

I opened the door and walked into Classroom 2-C, my homeroom for the next year. Most of the seats were already filled as I walked towards Ms. Arakashi, who I guess was assigned to work with second-years. “Oh, good morning to you, Leo. It’s good to see you’re still with us after all this time.” Ms. Arakashi said, smiling. She’s a nice lady and all, but she makes it sound like I could have died or something staying here. “Yes, good morning, Ms. Arakashi.” I said back. “It’s reassuring to have you as my teacher for another year.” I said. “Oh, thank you, dear. Now, about your seat…” she looked over to the desks for a vacancy. “Hmm…”

“Oh, Le-Le!” called an oh-so familiar voice from the back of the classroom and next to the windows, complete with an excited wave. “Oh, hey there.” I said, waving back as the classroom’s occupants kept looking between the two of us, causing some laughter and speculation between them. I scratched my cheek in embarrassment. Ritsu, Mio, and Mugi were all on opposite ends of the classroom, with Nodoka sitting next to Yui, just like last year. “Over here! Over here!” she said, her excitement not coming down in the least. I frowned as I couldn’t fulfill her request. Try as I might, there wasn’t a single open seat next to her. Guess it was foolish to hope for arrangements similar to last year. That irony kind of stings…

“You can sit there!” Ms. Arakashi said, pointing towards an open desk placed far on the lower left of the seatings, pretty much the opposite of where Yui was. “Ouch…” said Ritsu, as if watching me take heavy damage. “Well, if that’s the way it is…” I shrugged, “Then there’s not much that can be done abou-”

“Teacher!” said Nodoka, passionately raising her hand to get Ms. Arakashi’s attention. “Ah, yes, what is it?” asked Ms. Arakashi. “Would it be alright if Leo and I swapped seats?” she asked, a devious look permanently fixated on her face. Nodoka, what are you plotting here? “I’d like to be able to see the board better, that’s all.” she said. “Eh? But...Nodoka, why?” asked an upset and surprised Yui. “Hmm…” Nodoka looked up at the ceiling, watching the dust particles as if they held some kind of excuse she could use. “Well, if I’m closer to the board…” she started, turning back down to face her friend, who grew curious at her explanation. “I can focus better. That makes sense, right…?” Wrong. I give that landing a three out of ten. “Oooh…Yeah, that makes sense.” Yui agreed. Wrong! That makes no sense at all! 

“I suppose I can allow that. Are you okay with this, Leo?” asked Ms. Arakashi. “I guess I am…” I answered. “Well then, please take your seat next to Yui, if you wouldn’t mind.” she said, pointedly holding her hand out towards the seat next to her. “Right.”

As I walked to take my seat, Nodoka would pass me by as she took her new one. Giving me a subtle tap on the chest, she shot me a look that didn’t tell me anything in particular. Yet somehow, I still feel embarrassed. I slid into my seat and smiled at Yui, who was overjoyed to reciprocate it. “You’re here early. What’s the occasion?” I said to her. “It’s Ui’s first day! I just wanted to make sure she was all ready for her assembly.” Yui said, like some proud mother. “I doubt she’d need your help for that.” I told her plainly. “Maybe, but what kind of big sister would I be if I didn’t try anyway?” she said, crossing her arms. “Fair enough, I guess. Is your sister gonna be joining our club?”

“Hmm…” Yui hummed, going in deep thought momentarily. “Well, when I asked her, she wouldn’t say yes or no…” she said, dissatisfaction ringing in her voice. “But I’m sure she’ll come! We’ll just have to wait until after school!” she said, trying to reassure herself more than anyone. If they didn’t say yes or no, it’s probably no. “Yeah, although I wonder how we’d even get more members in the first place. Our club’s appeal is pretty niche.” I said, scratching my cheek as I observed my surroundings. Nobody’s staring at me right now, huh. “I guess we’ll just have to come up with a plan if nobody else comes.”

“Alright, class.” said Ms. Arakashi, pressing her books up against her podium with two loud, attention-grabbing bangs. “Homeroom will now begin. Let’s start this year off right, everyone.” 

And so, the first day of the new year flew by in no time. Despite us being second-years and having more to live up to, Yui’s typical classroom antics didn’t cease. I didn’t maintain any knowledge from the lectures, so maybe that meant I got caught up in watching her again...Agh, my grades are about the only thing I have going for me. Don’t ruin this for me, Yui!

The bell rang, and we were all preparing to leave. “Alright, it’s time to bag us some first-years!” said Ritsu, approaching our desks with Mio and Mugi in tow. “So you came up with a plan on how to attract some, then?” asked Mio. “I’ll start brainstorming after we get to the clubroom! Let’s hurry!” said Ritsu, eyes ablaze in excitement. “You know, my father once said it’s all about PR. Maybe we should do advertisements!” said Mugi, equally excited. “Oh! Let’s think of what kinds of ads we can do!” said Yui, literally jumping out of her seat. “Sounds good to me. I’ll have to make a quick detour, so I’ll see you guys there.” I explained. “Right, you met someone important today, yeah?” asked Yui, leaning closer to me. “Mm-hm, I’m supposed to be showing them the ropes around here, so I need to go check on them.” I said, rising from my seat. “I’ll see you when I see you.” I said, waving as we got ready to part ways temporarily. “Hurry back, now!” said Ritsu, who's likely smug face was out of my sight as I was facing the opposite direction. “Don’t boss me around!” I barked back, rebelliously shooting my fist towards the ceiling. “Hurry back, Le-Le!” said Yui. “Yeah, yeah…” I replied.

As I made my way to classroom 1-B, I wondered about what sort of day Inuko had. I bet I softened the blow for him, being the first guy here and all. Hopefully he didn’t throw his room into a panic like I did...That’s a funny thought, though. At least I’d have someone to share that kind of grief with. “Excuse me.” I said, opening the room door. Rather than the cynical chatter that I’d gotten an earful of on my first day, I was met with the sound of...adoration. Girls who couldn’t stop talking about how nice things were. “Inuko, you wanna go somewhere after school?” asked one of the first-years. “I’m sorry, I’ll have to decline…” he said. I could barely make out his voice from all the girls talking over him, and surrounding what I presume was his desk. “Hey, hey, Inuko, do you have a girlfriend?” asked another student. Wait, what? Are all first-years like this or what? How hopped up are they on their own hormones? “I-I don’t…” Inuko shyly responded, his voice nigh inaudible as it grew quieter. 

“Well, if you’re looking...I’m on the market.” she said. “Ah...Ahaha…” Inuko awkwardly laughed, clearly unsure of how to proceed with the situation. I guess that’s where I step in. “Yo, Inuko!” I shouted, my voice commanding silence as a different male’s voice caused some pause with the girls. It was only then that I realized that the girls hadn’t even noticed me before I said anything. Show some respect to your upperclassmen! “Oh! Is that you, Leo-senpai?” asked Inuko, the sound of a chair being pushed back echoed as the girls stepped aside so he could greet me. Seeing his face, man, he looks exhausted. Looks like that unbending smile of his was really put through the wringer.I guess his first day really was rough, just in a different way from mine. “Mm-hmm. Hey, I was wondering, have you…” I said, stopping my sentence as the girls kept staring at me. There would be absolute chaos on our hands if they were to hear this next part.

“Actually, why don’t you just come with me?” I asked him, relief washing over him almost instantly. Sheesh, just how pushy were these girls? “Ehhh? You’re not taking Inuko away, are you?” one of the girls whined. “Sorry, sorry.” I apologized. “I’m helping out the staff today, so he’s gotta come with for now. He’ll be all yours tomorrow, promise.” I told her, all of the girls delighted as I threw their new chew toy back into the fire. “But for now, come on.” I said, gesturing to him to follow me, which he did dutifully. “Goodbye, everyone. It was...fun?” Inuko said with a bow. Clearly, the fun he mentioned was pretty one-sided with how hard he slammed the door behind us. Surprisingly, none of them followed us. 

Once we made distance between the classroom and ourselves, Inuko let out a sigh he’d been holding for seemingly an eternity. “Rough first day, huh?” I asked him, leaning against the walling. “I-I wouldn’t put it like that…” he said, wiping his mouth as he clearly lied. “It was just a bit...much. I had a lot to take in.” he said, still keeping up that smile. No, seriously, how is he doing that? “You’ll get used to it in time. For now, just try and hold out, okay?” I said to him. “Right…” he said. “What was your first day like, Leo-senpai?”

“It was kind of the opposite of yours, actually. Exhausting all the same, but we had two very different problems, it seems like.” I said, patting my forehead with strange nostalgia as I recalled that day. How long has it been now? At least six months, I think? “I tried to make a splash, but things didn’t pan out like I expected. Hardly anyone liked-well, likes me. Meanwhile, you seem to be getting smothered.” I explained, spinning my finger about as if to give my little backstory a visual. “What do you mean by that?” asked Inuko, studying my finger’s movements closely. “No one liked you? I have a bit of difficulty believing that.”

“I didn’t say no one, just a lot.” I corrected him, feeling ever-so-slightly insulted by his implication. “And to answer your question, I think the reason is because I’ve always kind of been that way. If not for a certain very pushy group of people, I doubt I’d still be here.” I said, causing yet another look of confusion from Inuko. “...I am a little lost, Leo-senpai.” he said, scratching his head, puzzled. “It’s a long story. I’ll give you the full rundown sometime.”

“Who is that group of people you mentioned, though? Should I make sure I avoid them…?” asked Inuko. Not the worst idea in the world, but unfortunately for him, I’ll be dragging him straight to them. “No, but since we’re playing Twenty Questions here, I’ve got one for you.” I replied. “A question? What is it?” asked Inuko.

“Have you thought about joining a club yet?” 

With an unsure answer, Inuko followed me as I took him to the clubroom. He wasn’t nearly as weirded out as I was when I’d first walked down the halls to the clubroom. It takes all kinds, I suppose. As we stood in front of the door to the room, I could hear familiar voices chattering away from the other side. That only served to remind me of something.

“I should warn you, this club is pretty...odd. So, try to keep an open mind to the kinds of things you’ll see in here, okay?” I told him, holding out a hand as if to give him a last-minute out. “I can do that.” he said astutely. “If you’re sure…” I said, turning back to the door and grabbing hold of the handle.

The door clattered open and the voices behind it became clear. “Hey, everyone. I’m here, and I-” I reeled back as I cringed at the scene I was witnessing. It’s that girl from this morning, surrounded on all sides by the Light Music Club and Sawako. They were looking at myself and Inuko with varying expressions, though the first-year girl especially seemed quite embarrassed. Wait, is she wearing...cat ears? “What is going on here…?” I asked. “Is this what you meant by ‘odd’, senpai?” asked Inuko, who was strangely unbothered by the sight before us. “No,” I said, holding my head as if to withhold a headache. “This is weird, even for us…” I said, looking on at the six with cautious eyes. “Um, Le-Le?” asked Yui, taking a step forward and pointing forward. “Why’s another boy here…?” she continued. “Right,” I said, “I should introduce you.”

“Ah!” Inuko suddenly shouted in surprise. “What is it, now?” I asked, looking over at his utterly shocked face. “M-Ms. Tsumugi? Is that you?” he said, moving in on the girl, who looked at him with utterly clueless eyes. “It...IS you! Why, what an odd coincidence!”

“I’m sorry...I don’t believe I recognize you.” Mugi looked closer at the boy with utterly clueless eyes. “It’s me! Inuko!” he said, smiling at this strange reunion. At that name, Mugi gave a bubbly gasp as her face had brightened up in a way that I’d never seen. “Little Inu?!” she said, moving closer to him and grabbing his face. Even though he was surrounded by girls he obviously didn’t care to be around earlier, being touched by Mugi only seemed to make him even happier. “Looking closer, it really is you! Why, you’ve gotten so handsome!” she said, feeling up the boy’s chin. He was like being pet in his favorite spot, which, given his name, I guess isn’t far off. “Oh, we’ve got so much to catch up on!” she said, clasping her hands together excitedly. “Why don’t we do that over some snacks?” Ritsu suggested.

Heeding her idea, the eight of us gathered round the table in the center of the room with snacks and tea laid about it. It was starting to feel like a regular day for us now, just with more people than normal. We second-years sat on one end, with the first-year students, our potential newcomers, sitting across from us. “So how do you two know each other?” asked Yui, pressing up against Mugi like melted butter. “Yes, you see, Inuko’s family has been working for mine for quite a while now. Since their parents were so busy working, they asked my father’s housekeeper to look after Inuko when he wasn’t in school. We’ve known each other since we were children because of that…” 

This is the first Mugi’s mentioned him, though. Maybe they weren’t all that close and she’s just excited? I dunno.

“That’s right,” said Inuko, nodding approvingly as he sipped his tea. “My grandfather was an entrepreneur of sorts, but he wasn’t the smartest businessman out there. One day, before even my father before me was born, he’d found himself in immense debt after sinking his savings into a business prospect that ended up blowing up in his face.” He said, looking out at the window with a bit of bitterness. “He was penniless, and in massive debt as well. He’d lost everything.” he said, his face turning back to Mugi’s with a newfound happiness. “But then, as if out of nowhere, Ms. Tsumugi’s grandfather came out of nowhere and completely paid off everything he owed. He gave my grandfather sound business advice, but he was so touched by her grandfather’s actions that he pledged his life to him.”

“So he became her grandfather’s right hand man, working with him until his last breath.” he said, a slight solemness coming from him that no one seemed to notice. “Since then, my family has followed in his footsteps, working as servants under her father’s family and business.” he finished, putting down his now emptied cup of tea. “You know, I’ve heard the reason before, but…” Mugi started. “Every time I hear it, it sounds a bit more unbelievable each time…” she said, blushing in embarrassment. “How does that even happen to someone?” asked Ritsu, her eyes widened at the sheer luck his grandfather found. “Good question…” I said, having no clue either. “Your grandad must’ve been a really nice guy, Mugi.” Yui smiled. “Indeed, he was. When I was a small child, he would always bring me a truck full of gifts along with him.” she said. ‘This girl’s been spoiled sweet…’ was probably something we all thought, I sure know I did.

“But wait, with how Mugi reacted earlier, you two haven’t seen each other for a long time, right?” Sawako said, finally breaking her own silent pondering. “That’s right. When I turned twelve, I was taken in by a boarding school meant for training boys like myself to become fine butlers.” he said. That explains a lot, a concerningly large amount in fact. “Your parents are hardcore, huh…” said Sawako. “Actually, it was myself who wanted to go. My parents wanted me under their tutelage, but I thought I would grow faster if I got the help of professional trainers.” Inuko explained. “Really? How come…?” asked Yui.

“That’s because…!” Inuko said, suddenly startled as his face began to redden. I think I’ve already worked out your reason, pal. But I’ll let you spell it out when you’re good and ready. “Alright, alright. I think that’s enough questions for him.” I said, putting a hand up for a ceasefire. “Phew…” Inuko sighed of relief, confirming my suspicions.   
“What about this one…?” I pointed at the first-year girl who’d remained completely and utterly silent this whole. “Huh?!” she said, nearly jumping from her chair as I’d given her much-needed attention. “And why’d you have her wearing cat ears?” 

“Oh, that?” Ritsu said, resting her hands behind her head as she lackadaisically leaned back in her chair. “That wasn’t anything special, just a Rite of Passage to make sure Azusa’s fit for the Light Music Club, that’s all.” she explained. “Liar.” Mio immediately inserted at the end of Ritsu’s spiel, much to Ritsu’s chagrin. “Yeah, no. ‘Rite of Passage’ my ass.” I bit back. “So your name is Azusa, then?” asked Inuko. “Yes, that’s right.” she said. “Well, Ms. Azusa, If I may speak, I thought you looked quite adorable in those cat ears.” Inuko said, with a totally genuine look, I’ll add. “Huh…?!” Azusa blurted, her face turning a million shades of red all at once. “Smooth, dude.” said Ritsu, looking at the scene with a smirk. “I just knew he’d make this place more interesting.” said Sawako, patting herself on the back. 

Shaking herself back into some normalcy, Azusa shot me a look. Why do I feel as though I’m about to be the subject of some embarrassment? “B-But, wait…! I don't even know this senpai’s name!” she said, pointing at me. “You never told me this morning!” she said. “Isn’t that a little irresponsible?” she added. Wait, is she trying to take the heat off of her by putting it on ME? Well, two can play at that game! “You ran off before I could even do that.” I spat back. “And by the way, my name is Leo.” I leaned in on her, as if to tell her that I accepted her challenge. “Hm? You two have met before?” asked Yui.

"Had a run-in this morning." I shrugged. “Nothing special, really.” I said. “Mmm, I guess Leo-senpai is right, but…” Azusa hummed. “What was with that weird dance you were doing?”

“Guh…!” I choked on my own breath as she unearthed a memory I would very much prefer to forget. “I wasn’t…” I tried giving a visual explanation with my hands, in an attempt to coerce myself more than anyone. “...Look, it was nothing, alright? Just forget about it.” I said, hand waving as if to hypnotize her into doing my bidding. 

“It didn’t sound like nothing. You were going off about how you said nobody was watching you and you can do whatever you felt like.” Azusa said, getting up from her chair. “He was going like this!” she said, spinning on one foot repeatedly as she flawlessly reenacted my moment of passion from this morning. “See?” she said, coming to a stop. Everyone slowly turned their faces towards me, ready to burst at the seams with laughter. 

“A regular Jackson, are we…?” said Sawako, hardly able to even parse her words through holding back her laughter. Her joke caused everyone else to explode with laughter, I could barely even make out my own thoughts over how loud they were now. One thought rang true through their laughter though.

“This is going to be an exhausting year.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Light Music club slowly becomes more adjusted to being senpais as Azusa has some choice demands for the group.

School life only seems to have gotten even more hectic over the past week as we of the Light Music Club are still only now becoming adjusted to being second-years. With two underclassmen to look after and guide, we’re starting to be hit by having more ‘adult’ responsibilities. There’s also the problem of our image, rather, how we’re perceived by our underclassmen. We're working hard on that, but currently, I find myself with a lucky bit of respite.

"Ugh, still too hot…" I said, sitting in the small bit of shade at the back of the track field's storage house. "We had to be stuck with gym class on the hottest day of spring, huh?" I said, wiping the sweat off my forehead.

"You really oughta stop talking to yourself like that." said Ritsu, sticking her head out from the other side of the storage house. I could see the sun's rays reflecting off that forehead of hers. "Girls don't find that kind of thing very attractive."

"Shut up," I sighed, too exhausted to tell her off any further as she took a seat next to me, flattening the gravel before doing so. "What are you even doing here?"

"Takin' a break, same as you." she said, airing out her shirt to let in some cool air. I averted my eyes to ensure I wouldn’t get a glimpse of something I shouldn’t. “Why don’t you sit out where people can see you?" she said, covering her mouth as she leered. "Or are you tryin' to play up your loner status?"

“We’ve got shade back here, dummy. Can’t you see that the sun is trying to kill us today?” I said, pointing up towards that shining ball in the sky.

“I dunno, feels nice to me.” she said, stretching out her sweat-covered arms and giving a satisfied sigh. “Besides,” she said, putting a hand on my stomach. “You could stand to lose just a bit of weight. You’re not fat or anything, but you’re not exactly fit either.” she said, giving my stomach two good smacks with her hand before retracting it. “We can’t all have metabolisms like Yui.”

“Y-You don’t need to tell me that!” I said, discontentedly rubbing my insulted stomach. “Besides, that’s not the only reason I’m back here.” I crossed my arms in a huff, leaning back on the building. “The other reason is that if I were to sit out front, I’m afraid some of the girls will think I’m just ogling or something.”

“Hm? Why’s that?” Ritsu gave a skeptical look, “It’s not like we’re wearing those old-fashioned gym bloomers or something.” she said, tugging at her perfectly normal and not-immodest gym shorts. The thought of the girls in gym bloomers hadn’t even crossed my mind, but now that she brings it up, that would definitely be a sight to see.

...I’m starting to think that I’m a bit more of a pervert than I trick myself into believing…

“You’re thinking something weird, aren’t you?” asked Ritsu, a coy smile upon her face.

“...Anyway…” I said after a pause.

“You’re just gonna dodge it?!” she shouted, thwacking me on the shoulder, to which I gave no reaction despite how much that actually hurts.

“Anyway,” I repeated in an attempt to turn tail from the compromising subject. “Have you talked to Azusa yet?” I asked her. 

Ritsu gave a sigh, not fully willing to give up on what I’d been thinking about, “I tried, but the girl won’t budge. I never expected one of our underclassmen would end up being such a wet rag.” she said, lackadaisical as she waved a hand about. “Especially compared to Inuko. That guy fit in like a glove.”

“Mmm, true.” I mused. “But with how, um…” I thought for a moment for a good descriptor. “...let’s say, ‘overbearing’ Mugi was about him joining, it was probably hard for him to decline.” I stuck out my arms as I recalled the following day after he’d joined. “I mean, remember that gigantic box that we had to help bring into the clubroom? He didn’t even play any instruments, yet she immediately bought him an entire keyboard! I mean, who does that?”

“Mugi would.” Ritsu bluntly replied.

“Yeah, point.” I sighed.

"Anyways, I'll leave the Azusa talking to you, Leo." Ritsu said, giving me a pat on the back as if to prompt action. "Just get her to take a chill pill, alright?"

"Why am I being left with this?" I squinted at her sudden demand. "Aren't you our Club President?"

"Yes. And the Club President says that you have to do it." she replied, not missing a beat.

"Can I at least know why?" I asked immediately. 

"Because, you're the best when it comes to this…'talking' stuff." she said.

"You make it sound like you're antisocial or something." I spat back. "Do it yourself!"

"Aw, c'mon." she said, moving uncomfortably close to me. "Please? You're just more…'delicate' than I am." she said, her warm body practically pressed up against mine, pouting as she did so. Knowing Ritsu, this was definitely a deliberate move to coax a yes out of me. 

"Alright! Alright!" I said, pushing her face away from me to gain some ground and some lost dignity. "I'll do it, just stop already!" 

Content, Ritsu would pull away from me as I requested. Judging from that look on her face, her plan went exactly as she wanted too. "Your cheeks are red." she said, quickly poking at my hot face.

"Th-That's just the sun…" I remarked.

The school day came and went, and I found myself standing outside of Azusa and Inuko's homeroom not long after the final bell had rang.

The door opened, and students poured outside of the classroom as they eagerly went to their homes or their after-school obligations. Among those students were Azusa and Inuko, happily chatting away about something. These two got along quite well, as they shared a lot in common. They're hard workers, first-years, and share the same drive to want to get better at music. It seems like Azusa also warded off a large chunk of the girls who were bothering Inuko just by being in his vicinity. I wonder if they're just running with the assumption that they're dating or something?

"Hey." I said with a wave, catching the duo's attention. Their reactions were at opposite ends of the spectrum. Can't say that's unexpected.

"Leo-senpai!" Inuko smiled. "Are you going to the clubroom?"

"Mm. Would you mind heading there? Mugi probably needs your help with something." I said, tapping him on the shoulder as if to tell him to get going already.

"Ah, yes!" he said, dashing off moments after. "I'll see you there!" he shouted, going out of view not long after. Azusa could only give a detached-looking wave as he did so.

"Mind coming with me somewhere? It'll just be for a second." I asked, smiling. Azusa could only give a vacant look as she nodded.

Soon enough, we'd arrived at the clearing that I'd sometimes sit at for lunch. As per usual, nobody except the soft breeze that encircled us was around. I doubt the rest of the club could interrupt us and make a fool out of us here.

"Senpai, what are we doing here?" asked Azusa, her eyes averting mine as we sat on opposite ends of the bench. 

"You can relax, I just wanted to talk to you for a bit. That's all, really." I said, moving in on my side as if to give her more space. The bench's railing was starting to dig into me as I did so.

"T-T-Talk?" Azusa suddenly began to stutter like a motorboat, rising from her seat as she looked visibly shaken. She's blushing. Why is she blushing?

"I-I'm sorry, Leo-senpai! I'm sure you're a nice guy and all, but I really can't!" 

…Several ticks went off in my brain as I repeatedly tried and failed to comprehend what she had been even getting at.

...Huh?

"Wait, you've got the wrong idea." I said, flagging her down. "And someday I'd like to have a talk about how that was the first thing you jumped to." I said, pointing accusatory fingers at her that caused her to frown in regret, ironically making me feel all the worse.“Sorry, senpai...I’m just a little on edge because of rumors I heard about you.” Azusa apologized, bowing.

“No worries, it’s onl- Wait, rumors?” I covered my eyes, letting out a big sigh as I did so. I’m not even sure why I reacted this way. Just because a new year started didn’t mean things were necessarily going to ease up. “Not this again...What kinds of things have you heard?”

“Umm, I’m not sure I should say…” Azusa said, donning a forced smile as she looked away from me. That bad?

“Come on, I can take it.” I said, pounding my chest as if to show my grit.

“If you insist…Ahem!” Azusa said, clearing her throat. “They say you’re a pervert, a lecher, that you hit on every girl you see and dump them when you finish using them, you spy on girls on their way home, and that you apparently don't wash after you use the toilet."

One after the other, I felt the air get hurled out of me as I felt a thesaurus of insults slam into my stomach. I was practically bawling my eyes out at all those horrible words. "S-stop, please…" I said weakly, my still shaking hand raising like a white flag of surrender. Good lord, I knew I wasn't exactly on the best terms with much of the student body, but I had no idea that so much nonsense was spread under my nose. I especially don't appreciate that comment about me not washing properly. My hygiene and my grades are the only things I've got going for me!

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say all those mean things like that…" Azusa said, bowing once again.

“I-It’s alright…” my voice cracking as I failed immensely at keeping a semblance of composure. “Besides, it’s not like you believe all those things…”

“...You don’t, right?” I added after a long pause.

“O-Of course not!” she said, “I’ve seen how you are with everyone in the club. I don’t even think you’re capable of that kind of thing!” she waved her hands, as if to try and make me believe that she never said what she definitely did say earlier. “I-I just got scared when you said you wanted to speak to me alone, I guess…” 

“Right?!” I said, feeling the blood flow back into my heart. Knowing that someone in this school isn’t completely dense about these things renews some of the hope in humanity I thought I’d lost forever. “It’s completely ridiculous!”

“Mm-hm, mm-hm.” Azusa nodded, “But, wait a second. Why did you call me here, senpai?”

Quickly and desperately, I explained to Azusa the reason I’d brought her out here to get back on track.

“So, if you could just turn it down a few notches…” I said, giving a turning motion with my fingers, as if to tutorialize her. “You’d be really helping me out.”

As if out of defiance, Azusa’s cheeks puffed up at my words. Did I step on her tail or something? “Oh, I see. I’m always the one who tries to get the club off their butts. So I’m the problem.”

"I didn't say any of that." I sporadically waved at Azusa. "Ritsu can be a huge pain in the ass when you don’t do what she says, so just follow along and don’t be difficult, okay…?”

"Yeah? Well, maybe you're just a huge pushover!" Azusa shot back at me, stabbing her finger at my chest. Ouch, a direct hit.

"I know I am! That's why I'm here in the first place, damn it!" I said, stabbing a finger of my own onto Azusa's forehead, which only made her appear more angry. I felt a really raw aura emanating from her, like her pigtails could turn into tentacles and attack me at any moment. Just as quickly, though, she calmed down. Forcing a smile that shot daggers into me.

"Okay, I have a solution, then!" she said, clasping her hands together with confidence. "I just won't show up anymore!" she said, her chipper tone contrasting her devastating declaration.

"Wait, you what?!" I shouted, as if taking a heavy blow to the heart from her words. I knew she had issues with us, but was it really this bad the whole time? "Azusa, you--" I said, taking a step forward, to which she stepped back.

I tried putting my hands on her shoulders, as if to try and get her to comply. She stepped back in a blink, as if she'd mastered the Flash Step technique. Despite my admittedly worrisome-looking advances, she still held that same blatantly fake smile that casted elongated shadows upon the rest of her face. "...Fine." I said, shrugging as I gave up. "What can I do to make you stay? What are your conditions?"

"Whoa!" said Azusa, flinging up her bag as if to protect herself from a surprise attack or something. "Senpai's getting desperate…!" she added. Did she accidently say that aloud or something?

"You bet I am!" I affirmed to her. "Now, come on. What are your terms?"

"Hmm…" she hummed as she thought deeply. Something tells me this is going to end with me getting blamed for whatever happens next.

"Leo, you idiot!" raged Ritsu, slamming her hands onto the clubroom table and knocking the teacups that sat on it about. "Can't you do anything right?!"

"You haven't even heard her out yet!" I arose from my seat to face her angry look. She had a look of shock on her face, as if surprised that I dared challenge her authority. "And besides…!" I raised my hands and locked onto the targets in front of me. Skillfully, I latched onto Ritsu's cheeks and began to pull. Everyone but Mio seemed quite entertained by our little show. Mio's face seemed to communicate something like 'I don't know why you're mad, but it's probably justified.' You're damn right it is. "YOU put me up to this in the first place! If you've got a problem with how I handled it, then just do it yourself next time!" 

Ritsu's comparatively brittle hands could do nothing to dissuade me from pulling. "Q-Quit it…!" she said, trying to smack at me. My resolve was steeled, however. This annoying girl had gotten on my very last nerve. I kept pulling, and pulling, and pulling. Everyone watched in amazement as her cheeks began to turn a different color from how hard I was on her.

After a bit of time, Mio rested her hand on my shoulder, clearing her breath. “Alright, Leo. I think she gets it.” she said modestly. Though that slight smile on her face told me she enjoyed that little spectacle more than she’s letting on. 

“Hmph!” I huffed, letting go of the girl as I grumpily retook my seat. As I saw how much her cheeks changed color, I started to feel an iota of guilt. Not anywhere near enough to apologize, though. “As long as she gets it.” I said.

“Sorry…” Ritsu could barely parse through her swollen cheeks, sitting back down as well.

“Leo-senpai is kind of scary when he’s angry, I see.” Inuko said, his observation, while technically true, still made me feel a little embarrassed about my passionate outburst.

“Mm-hm! Mm-hm!” Yui and Mugi agreed in perfect sync. Peas in a pod, those two.

“Ahem!” I said as loudly as possible, as if to bring the conversation to a grinding halt. “Anyway, let’s get back on track…Azusa?” I said, putting my hand on her shoulder, startling her by accident.  
“Ah, y-yes…?” she said, finally speaking up for the first time since entering the clubroom. 

“Your terms.” I said. “Stage is all yours.”

“O-Oh, right.” she said, her worried face becoming more stern as she arose from her seat, all eyes now planted on her. “Well, I’ve been coming to this club for about a week now. As I’ve observed, it’s a little...completely dysfunctional.” she said, her voice lowering with each passing word. Nobody could really say anything back as she was completely right. We could only look in past-tense embarrassment. Our club, since its very inception, has been kind of a sham. “So if I’m going to stay, I want to lay down a few ground rules so we can live up to the name ‘Light Music Club’.” she said, taking a stance much like a dutiful teacher.

“Oh, Azu-nyan’s gonna give us some new rules? How come…?” asked Yui, lying her head down on the table. Her face’s emotions were somewhere between ‘What a pain’ and ‘I’m glad Azusa’s here.’

“First thing’s first…!” Azusa said, prompted by Yui’s nickname. She gave a stern point, causing Yui to suddenly sit up straight in her chair. “Stop calling me that! It’s super embarrassing!” she demanded firmly.

“Urk…!” Yui gulped, caught off guard by Azusa’s sudden callout. “But…” Yui started sorrowfully, attempting to reason with the already reasoned girl. “Azu-nyan is Azu-nyan…!” she said. That familiar argument had to pop up here again, huh? I think Azusa’s got too much backbone to take such a sloppy excuse lying down.

“No buts!” Azusa said, crossing her arms in the shape of an X as her eyebrows angrily slanted downwards. “Senpais should try and be more formal, so please, just call me Azusa!” she said. Yui could only give a defeated groan of compliance as she rested her tired head on the wooden table.

“But I really don’t like formalities…” Yui said. “Besides, Le-Le likes his nickname, right? So I figured...” she said, turning to me. Her sad eyes nearly forced me to agree with her, but I’d risk being grilled by the club and Azusa especially if I were to do that. For now, I need to hold my ground.

“I tolerated your nickname, more like.” I said, waving off the eyes of the club that found their way to me. “I know she’s your underclassman and you like to dote and all, but try and bear with it. At least for now, okay?” I looked to Azusa, with a smile that I wanted to make sure to communicate to her that she should show a little bit of mercy. “Who knows, maybe she’ll warm up to the idea?”

Azusa gave me a condescending frown in response. She didn’t say anything, but I bet if she were a little less patient, she’d have told me and Yui not to get our hopes up. Still, Yui seemed fine enough with this.

“Okay, that’s easy enough.” said Ritsu. “Anything else?”

“Yes, actually. This next one is in regards to you, Ritsu-senpai.” she said, turning to Ritsu. Ritsu leaned forward, suddenly curious at Azusa’s inquiry. “If you have to get something done for the club, do it yourself instead of roping other people into doing your dirty work for you.” she pointed at her, Ritsu giving a shocked smile in response. She knew full well what she was doing, but was surprised to see someone else call her out on it to this extent. “Do you know how many times I’ve seen Leo get caught up in misunderstandings this week alone just because you keep having him do stuff on your behalf? You’re a leader, show some initiative!”

Azusa’s scathing rant left Ritsu utterly bewildered. Ritsu put up no fight or any resistance. I mean, who could after that? “R-Right, I’ll try and do better…”

“Well, at least some progress will be made in that sense…” said Mio, giving Ritsu a tap on the back.

“Thank you.” I said, having earned some gratification after finally having that weight lifted off my shoulders.

“She’s not completely to blame, Leo-senpai.” Azusa said, turning to me. “While I get that you only selectively choose to have a spine of your own, would it at least kill you to exhibit a little bit of self-awareness?”

“Huh?” I could only respond blankly as the full brunt of Azusa’s assault was now turned to me.

“I mean, what kind of guy who knows has rumors spread about them still chooses to drag a girl to a private area just to talk to them about club activities?” Azusa continued, each word prying and dissecting my brain as she read off thought processes that I’d hadn’t ever considered. “Do you know how bad that seems on the outside looking in?”

“W-Well…” I stammered. “I guess I just thought, um…” I couldn’t come up with anything. Trying to justify my train of thought was like trying to get through a maze with no exit.

“Ah, Le-Le!” Yui shouted, grabbing my arm and shaking at it mercilessly. “You were trying to confess to Azusa?! How could you?!” 

My face heated up as I became mortified by the fact that even Yui came to such a conclusion. “What? I don’t look at Azusa like that!” I said. Christ’s sake, you idiot. I like you.

“He really doesn’t, Yui-senpai.” said Azusa, now blushing as her eyes averted the awkward scene she was no doubt aware that she caused. “Leo-senpai is just a little troublesome, is all.”

“Oh, yeah. That makes sense!” Yui agreed, making me irrationally annoyed internally.

“Oh, but it’s such a romantic thought, isn’t it?” said Mugi. 

“Mugi, please.” I said as nicely to the girl as possible. These are eggshells I’d rather not walk on.

“Yes, I agree.” said Inuko. “Two girls of different years vying for the affection of a single boy? Why, it’s right out of a classic love novel!”

“Guh!” Azusa and I panicked, choking on our breath as we did so. Ritsu was crying with laughter at our expense, while Mio could barely hold her laughter in.

“Oh, like a game?” Yui said, immediately diffusing our worries as that somehow managed to go right over her head. “I won’t lose to Azu-nyan, then!” 

Azusa sighed, letting out some of her built up tension in the process. “I’m very worried about your future, Yui-senpai.” she said, her expression suddenly switching to one of mild annoyance as a realization struck. “Ah! And I thought I said not to call me that!”

“It’s alright, Azu-nyan!” Yui said, utterly ignoring Azusa’s words. “Why don’t you have some tea? Mugi even got you a special teacup!” she said, pushing over the cup that was fittingly modeled after a cat.

Azusa’s resolve weakened as she laid her eyes on the teacup. Judging by that slight bit of red on her cheeks, she either thought it was cute or was embarrassed at herself for wanting to give into temptation. Possibly both. She shut her eyes then and there, thus shutting herself out from the temptation, and turned away from it. “I-I don’t want any tea…!” she said. The shaking in her voice clearly told us all that she was lying.

“Azusa,” Inuko spoke, prompting Azusa’s eyes to open as she turned to him. Out of all of us currently occupying the room, I think Inuko was the one that Azusa had ended up having the highest opinion of, so I imagine she values his words more than any of us. “Your throat must be dry after doing so much talking. Why don’t you have just a sip?” he said with a smile, completely smashing Azusa’s barrier. 

“O-Okay…” Azusa said. Sheesh, he reeled her in like some kind of pro. Just what is he?

Azusa carefully picked up the teacup, examining all of its finer details closely. She was intrigued, perhaps smitten, by its simple cuteness. “J-Just one sip, alright?” she looked at us with a stern expression, as if to tell us that she won’t be won over so easily. Little does she know that she’d already lost. Azusa swiveled the teacup about, the steam emitting from it helping to slightly mask her expression. After a pause, she downed some of the tea as we all watched in anticipation.

It took a second, but her expression became completely relaxed as she let out a satisfying “Ahh…!”, much to the relief of myself, Ritsu, and Mio as we let out a sigh. “Mmm, warm oolong tea is the best…” she said, taking yet another sip as her entire body became limp as all of her worries were expelled from her body.

"It's like she's a different person…!" Ritsu gawked in amazement. "Ah, I see an opportunity here…!" she identified. That devious glint in her eye became all too apparent. Immediately, she got up from her seat and dashed over to Azusa's side, who was still in a tea-induced trance. We could only watch in amazement as Ritsu went to work, carefully setting Azusa back down in her seat and sliding some of the treats we'd left out over to her. Azusa happily indulged, though as she took another bite of her warm cookie, her eyes would sharpen as she'd caught on to what was happening here. "Ah…!" Ritsu turned in panic, "Yui, now!"

"Roger, roger!" Yui said, practically flying out of her seat and dashing towards Azusa's side with her arms outstretched.

"Ah, what do you think you're-!" Azusa said, coming to her senses as her head hopelessly turned repeatedly as she looked for a means of escape. No dice, however. Ritsu had her only escape route blocked as Yui quickly approached her with eyes that seemed to glint. 

Yui quickly overtook Azusa with a hug, like a large, heavy blanket. She expertly stroked Azusa's head, softly repeating "There, there." into the girl's ears. This wasn't the first time Yui had done this exact same thing to Azusa, and it hadn't lost its luster even a little bit. My envy also hasn't gone down in the slightest. Agh, what the hell am I thinking?!

Azusa was completely settled by Yui's hug, her anger earlier now being but a fleeting afterthought as Yui continued patting the girl on the head. 

"It's like I'm watching some kind of indoctrination…" said Mio, observing the duo like they were fish at an aquarium. 

"Does it feel that good?" asked Inuko. "I would like to try being pet on the head like that…" he said, giving his hair a few strokes as he closely observed Yui's no doubt refined technique.

As if beckoned, Mugi would put her hand on his head and fulfill his request. "Something like this…?" she said, stroking his head with serious eyes, those same eyes constantly going back and forth between her own hand on Inuko's head and Yui's head on Azusa's.

Ritsu looked on curiously, before turning to Mio. "Hey, Mio…" she said.

"Not a chance." Mio coldly replied.

"Stick in the mud…" Ritsu said, grumpily leaning back in her seat.

After that little…'display' came to an end, we were all back in our seats and gathered round the table as we normally would be.

"Oh," Inuko said, suddenly scanning the room for any missing detail. "I had not noticed her absence before now. Where is Ms. Sawako?"

"Oh, her?" said Ritsu, combing at her hair. "She's getting some outfits ready for Azusa."

"Huh?" Azusa looked at Ritsu, perplexed. "I didn't hear about this. Why are you buying outfits for me?"

"Wellll…" Ritsu said, rolling her tongue. "It was gonna be a surprise, but we wanted to have you do a photo shoot for us to advertise the club. Once that was done, we would sell some in an album to get some money."

"What." Mio said flatly. Even she was left nigh-speechless at Ritsu's scheme.

"I-I guess that doesn't sound too bad…" Azusa said, her fear shaken voice colliding with her words. "What sort of outfits did you have in mind…?"

Ritsu rested her palm on her chin, stroking at her non-existent beard. "Oh, the usual. Swimsuits, a French Maid outfit. Oh, and a two-piece cat costume." she said, Azusa's face becoming flushed as some probably indecent thoughts passed through her mind. "By the way," Ritsu said, snapping her fingers, "How good are you with showing skin?"

"This is starting to sound illegal…" I sighed.

"It sounds like a lot of fun, though!" Inuko said, passionately clasping his hands together. "May I join as well, Ritsu-senpai?"

"Hey, good idea!" Ritsu said, excitedly slamming her hands on the table like some kind of reckless business tycoon.

"Um, can I back-order that album, Ritsu?" Mugi said, presenting Ritsu with a 10000¥ bill almost certainly far exceeded the cost of the album itself.

"I don't see why not!" Ritsu said, happily snatching up the bill and cramming it into her pocket. 

"Wait a second!" Azusa said, slamming her hands against the table several times in outrage. "I didn't agree to this!"

"It's okay, Azu-nyan!" Yui said, "I'll even help you out! It'll be fun, really!" she said. I almost wanted to slip Ritsu a bill under the table at Yui's proclamation. 

"Not you too, Yui-senpai!" Azusa said, caught up in the club's tangle as Yui and Ritsu had gone and forgotten the meaning of personal space.

As I observed them feeling their fresh meat up, with Inuko and Mugi eventually joining in on the fun. I couldn't help but think about how, just moments ago, Azusa was ready to lay down so many ground rules just to try and stay with this club. Now, it's as if she never cared that much at all. I suppose that's the power this club and these girls hold in the first place. I suppose Azusa and I aren't very different in that sense, even if our experiences getting to this point were quite different. 

Although another thought clouded my mind amidst the arguing and laughter that had been going on in this club room.

"As I expected, this club got much louder."


	19. Three Days, Two Nights (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Light Music Club's second-years head for Kyoto for a Field Trip. There, they bond and grow closer. Though, Nodoka also has an important talk with Leo...

In the early morning of Spring, a thick fog had enraptured small town Japan. It was hard to see much, yet business and life went on all the same. The fog brought with it a light drizzle. The kind of drizzle that made you want to stay indoors, but also not the kind that made you consider bringing an umbrella with you because you can take getting a little wet. All in all, this kind of weather in the morning was perfect for just sleeping in and not doing much of anything. Yet, here I am, standing in the parking lot of Sakuragaoka in early morning bliss. I could hardly contain my excitement as I bobbed up and down in place. How could I not be excited? After all, today's my first ever Field Trip!

I wasn't the only one excited, as a large crowd of students stood in anticipation for the arrival of the bus that would be whisking us away to paradise for just a few short days.

"Here you go, sis." said Ui, handing Yui a heavy-looking set of lovingly wrapped bento boxes, which she happily and quite easily accepted. "This should be enough to last you the whole day." she turned to all of us of the Light Music Club with a smile. "I made sure to pack extra for everyone, too. So be sure to help yourselves, okay?"

"It's a shame you can't come with us, Ui." said Mio, giving her underclassman a pat on the head to express gratitude. "I'm sure Yui would love it if you could come with us."

"It's okay, really." Ui reassured us, "It's not like I'll be here all by myself." she said, gesturing towards Azusa and Inuko, who came to see us off. "Just remember to take lots of pictures for me, m'kay?"

"Okay!" Yui said, arming herself with the camera she'd pulled out from her coat pocket, nearly losing her grip on Ui's meals in the process. "You can leave it to me!"

"I'm surprised you don't seem tired, Yui-senpai." said Azusa, walking over to help Yui out with the lunches. "I thought you hated waking up this early."

"Now that you mention it…" I looked at Yui, now perplexed. "How ARE you so awake right now? Did you use those smelling salts again?"

“Nuh-uh!" she said, holding a peace sign up against her eye. "I couldn't sleep! I've been up since 3AM!" she declared casually, despite how utterly ridiculous she sounded. Well, that doesn't sound healthy at all.

"She's gonna crash soon, isn't she?" said Ritsu, who could only look on with a sympathetic smile. 

"I'll be totally fine." said Yui, wiping an eye. That's probably not the best sign. "Today's too exciting for me to just suddenly fall asleep in the middle of it." she said, punching at the air in front of her.

"But still, you should probably be cautious and get some rest on the bus ride there." Inuko advised. "Kyoto is quite far from here, so you should at least be able to get a few hours of sleep before your arrival."

"Totally fine, I said!" Yui frowned, perhaps insulted by us not really believing in her ability to remain awake.

"O-Okay then, I believe you…" Inuko raised his hands with an apologetic look. 

"It's too bad you both can't come with us…" said Mugi, getting a little too feely with Inuko as he happily accepted her hug.

"I-It'll just be three days…" Inuko said, giving Mugi a soothing pet on the head as she seemingly wasn't ready to let go. Guys, you really shouldn't do this sort of thing in public. This is how rumors get started, I would know. "You won't be gone long." 

Yui's head would suddenly turn left and right as she scanned the area in search of something. "Um, has anyone seen Nodoka? She's coming with us, right?"

I was a little relieved that Nodoka wasn't around, though I would not say this outright. Ever since I was unable to tell Yui how I felt about her, Nodoka has been giving her and I a lot of small pushes so we could be alone together. Coming up with excuses to bail on her or making stuff up about me so Yui can come find me when I’m alone, stuff like that. She hasn’t said anything to me directly just yet, but I can see that look in her eye, dang it. It keeps telling me 'What are you waiting for?' over and over again with growing impatience. Don't rush me, damn it!

"I'm sure she is around her somewhere," said Inuko, adding his own eyeballs to the search for the bespectacled girl. "She is probably just helping the Student Council right now, ensuring everything is running smoothly for today."

"Yeah, we'll see her in Kyoto, so there's no need to worry, alright?" said Mio. 

As Mio said that, the sudden whirring and vibration of a small handful of buses would quickly approach us, with students gleefully running further towards the sidewalk's edge. I, of course, followed behind them.

"Well," Ritsu said, giving a wave to our kouhais as she walked near the buses. "That's our cue. Try not to slack off while we're gone, alright?"

"Might want to look in a mirror, senpai." Azusa spat back playfully.

"Be a good boy and look after the club while we're gone, okay?" Mugi said, reaching up to give Inuko a pat on the head. Guys, seriously, keep it private. 

"Yes, of course. You can count on me, Ms. Tsumugi." Inuko said, a slight blush appearing on his cheek as he looked into Mugi's eyes wistfully. 

"Have fun, sis! Remember, pictures!" said Ui, giving Yui a wave as she watched her older sister climb aboard the bus. 

"Roger!" Yui said, giving a cute salute before heading further in.

"Ah, guess I'm up." I said, watching as Yui, Mio, Ritsu, and Mugi had all boarded. As I took my first step on the bus's stairs, I turned back around and gave my underclassmen a wave. "Thanks for seeing us off, guys."

They all gave waves as I stepped further into the bus, I heard the bus give a hiss as the automatic door behind me shut, and the ground beneath me started to shake as the bus was just about ready to pull off at any moment. I turned to see the bus's seats practically full, with the random and excited chatter of students filling it to its absolute capacity, much to the annoyance of the teachers who were to keep an eye on us. As I looked in total confusion on what to do or how to navigate the incredibly narrow corridor, a thought had dawned on me.

"This is my first time on a charter bus." I said aloud, though no one could hear me blurt that out as I was quickly drowned out by the musings of what seemed like at least a hundred other students who sat in not-so-quiet anticipation. I took a few careful steps forward, looking over the students in the seats like files in a cabinet, searching for my friends. "Oh!" I said, looking at the four girls happily talking to each other in the back of the bus.

"Ah, Le-Le!" Yui noticed me with a smile, waving to catch my attention even though she'd already had it. "Over here!" she beckoned me.

Though the seats were divided in pairs on the bus, where we sat thankfully allowed for six people total to sit together. Thank goodness the first-years didn't come with us, else I'd have to awkwardly sit with some girl I didn't know.

"So, Kyoto, huh?" I said, taking a seat on the far left end, next to Mio. "Have any of you guys ever been?"

"No, I think this is everyone's first time." said Mio. "Apparently it's something of a Rite of Passage for high school students around the country to go at least once before they graduate."

"That so? Well-" I replied. As I was about to say something else, the bus made a hiss sound once more, and the tires would rev up as the buses finally moved along. Chatter among the students became more excited and high pitched as students began to look out the window and wave to those who we were to leave behind. Slowly, the bus moved forward till the school was no longer in view.

"Ah! On the road, at last!" said Ritsu, giving a satisfied sigh as she stretched in her seat, causing us all to shuffle about in ours.

"Not very roomy back here…" I said, trying to get far away from the girls since their combined scents would drive any guy my age a little mad. I kind of wish I actually did have to sit with some random girl.

"It's still early," said Mugi, clapping her hands together. "So why don't we all have that breakfast that Ui prepared for us? It would be nice for us all to have breakfast as a group again."

"Not exactly a whole group," said Ritsu. "But hey, food is food!" she continued, happily swiping one of the bento boxes off of Yui’s stack. 

“I wonder what Ui packed today?” Yui said, handing the rest of us bentos of our own. Even divided among the five of us, there was still a ton of food left to go around. Geez, Ui, talk about overkill. She must really care for Yui an awful lot, huh…

“Let’s take a look, shall we?” Mugi said, taking the bento’s top off, with the rest of us following her lead. “Oh my!” she said, punctuating our gasps as we looked at the carefully crafted bento in amazement. Yui looked at it with her usual absentminded smile, don’t tell me THESE kinds of eats are normal in the Hirasawa household?

“It’s…” I took a gulp, “...absolutely incredible…” I wasn’t even sure if I should touch the finely put together meal. The perfectly cooked white rice topped carefully with just a bit of black rice, the eggs that were cooked with absolute accuracy, and the fried chicken that was kept in the batter for not a second longer than it needed to be. Everything about it was just perfect, and it frankly made me feel a little inadequate as a chef myself. Sure, I’m a decent cook, but this? This is on a whole other level. You can feel the utterly blinding love Ui has for her sister in this as Ui’s charisma for her role as the younger sibling practically irradiated from the box.

“It all looks so good, I don’t know where to start…” Ritsu said, drooling as her grip on her chopsticks grew strong to a point that I thought they'd snap then and there. 

"I'll pick for you, then!" said Yui, reaching to Ritsu's box and picking up one of the half-cut boiled eggs. Carefully, she placed it in Ritsu's mouth who happily ate it.

"Ah, it's perfect!" Ritsu exclaimed, holding her cheek to savor the no-doubt powerful flavors of Ui's meal. "School food has got nothing on this!" she said, excitedly slapping her cheeks together. "Come on, you guys! Hurry and try it!"

"Alright…" I said, clanking my chopsticks together as I studied the food in front of me. "What to pick?" I asked myself. Well, I know now that the egg is good if that were even a question. That fried chicken also looks great, but is fried chicken even a breakfast food? Questions for later, I guess. "I'll try the rice…" I said, picking up a small clump of it and promptly eating it. "I-"

"Haah?!" Mio looked at me in utter shock, "Leo, what's the matter?! Why are you crying all of a sudden?" she said, reaching for my tender cheek with a wipe and wiping away my tears that just wouldn't stop.

"It's...really, really good." I said, forcing the words through my want to keep crying. At the moment I ate the rice, it's as if I saw a vision of the very farmer that raised the rice from the moment they were but simple grains. The farmer was an old lady that cared for the rice with as much love as possible, and by her lonesome. She didn't have much to do in her life, but she did have her love of rice farming. Through thick and thin, the old lady did everything in her power to make sure that whatever lucky person would receive this rice made sure they got the best stuff possible.

"You're really cute when you're honest, Le-Le." said Yui, casually eating the meal as if it was perfectly normal for her. Her off-handed comment would normally leave me flustered, but I was overwhelmed by jealousy at the fact that she got to like this every single day. 

Ui's also gotten a lot better at cooking in such a short amount of time. I remember her cooking from the party quite distinctly, but it was nothing at this level. That girl really is unstoppable when she puts her mind to it. I wonder if I had maybe been a year younger and ended up in her class instead of Yui's, that I'd have fallen in love with her instead of her older sister? Well, no use pondering such things when they don't really matter.

We had our meals and were all left as content as can be afterwards. We definitely owe Ui a word of thanks when we get back. 

Soon, nothing but the road that we were on kept our attention. We looked out the window as the morning fog began to lift, revealing the city that quickly zipped past us as the bus's wheels loudly clattered against the road's rocky surface. 

"So what's Kyoto like, anyway?" asked Ritsu, tilting her head as she tried to get a better look out the window.

"Mugi, you really haven't been?" I asked her. "Haven't you and your parents been all over?"

"No," Mugi replied with a slight sheepishness that I found awfully cute. "This will be my first time just like everyone else."

Lifting a finger, Mio would smile as she was about to enter her Teacher's Mode. "I did some research online when I found out about our trip. Allow me to explain." she said. Ritsu could only groan in anticipation of Mio's long lecture as Mio cleared her throat. "Kyoto was Japan's former capital up until the year 1868. As you can imagine, it's a very historically rich city as a result of this, and one that's very important to our current way of living."

As Mio started, Ritsu and Yui had already tapped out and instead began conversing with each other. Mugi was quite interested in Mio's lecture, listening fervently. Although Mio was far too caught up in giving her lecture to notice the finer details of how much our group actually cared about what she was saying. Personally, I found it pretty relaxing, so I kept listening as Mio delved further into Kyoto's significance.

"Additionally, Kyoto is known for its many shrines and places of worship." she continued. "There are over 2000 of them!" she excitedly said, much like a teacher trying to keep her detached class interested. "Among things Kyoto is famous for are its rich clothing, its tea shops, and various temples where you can have shojin ryori!"

"Never mind, this is kinda boring." I said, my eyes suddenly growing heavy as I instead focused my attention towards the passing scenery outside the window.

"Hm? Did you say something, Leo?" asked Mio, sending a slight chill up my spine. 

"...Not a thing." I shakily replied. Maybe I'll just get some sleep till we get there…

Thus, slowly but surely, my consciousness faded as the last thing I heard was the girls loudly talking or arguing about something. Same old, same old. Soon, my reverie became real for a brief moment as I dreamed a dream that I would not recall for long after I woke up.

"Everyone! Everyone!" said Yui, suddenly waking me from my not-so-brief slumber. "Wake up! We're here! We're in Kyoto!" she said, pointing out the window to the completely unfamiliar setting as she bounced about impatiently. As it would turn out, I wasn't the only one who fell asleep. The only people left in the otherwise vacant bus were myself and the rest of half-asleep Light Music Club, and Yui, who was for some reason still completely awake.

"What time is it…?" said Ritsu, wiping the sleep out her eyes as she slowly arose from her slumber as if she were some kind of old lady. “Felt like I got no sleep at all…” 

Mugi rose from her seat with a quiet whimper, slowly combing her hair straight. “Well, let’s not dawdle…” said Mugi groggily. “Off to Kyoto…!” she said, pumping her fist in a way that I think was meant to look excited, but she seemed more like she was on the verge of passing out. A feeling I relate far too much to.

“Alright then…” I said, rising from my seat. My entire body felt heavy, like the bag on my back was actually filled with lead. I could hardly resist the urge to just tip over and fall back into my seat.

“How are you still so awake, Yui?” asked Mio, following behind Yui as we exited the bus, the unfamiliar air of the surrounding city reawakening our senses somewhat. That, and the non-stop chatter of the students that awaited us outside. “Did you really not go to sleep at all?”

“Nope!” Yui said proudly, clapping her hands together as if to keep us all awake. “I’m at one-hundred percent today!” she said, balling her hand up and slapping it against her chest. “You can rely on me for once, no need to worry!”

“Alright, everyone!” spoke the unfamiliar voice of an adult talking through an unnecessarily loud megaphone, bringing silence to the entire student body in one go. “I know you all must be excited about today, but remember, you’re not here to goof off, alright?!” she said, stamping her heel into the ground. Despite the intimidating front she tried to put up, she was met with an onslaught of boos and voices of disapproval from the student body. The teacher gave a sigh, continuing. “Alright, listen up. You can wander the city until the sun goes down, but don’t go outside of the zones designated on the maps you were given in your pamphlets.”

Right, those pamphlets we got with our Field Trip forms, they contained documents for things like where we would be staying, as well as where would be allowed to travel within the city. No-go zones, what routes to avoid, stuff like that. I took out my pamphlet to see where we were allowed to travel, and it was pretty much just the immediate area we’d arrived in. I’m pretty sure this part of Kyoto is like, custom-made for students like us, or something. Still, the students seemed excited enough at the prospect of having this fake freedom for a brief period of time. 

“Stay in groups of at least three, and make sure you’re at the hotel by 7PM at the latest!” the teacher continued. “Dismissed!” she said, with the students cheering as they dispersed to every corner of the surrounding city. 

“So then, where to first?” I asked, getting a good glimpse at the wide city around us. Seeing it all, it was actually pretty overwhelming. I felt a little helpless, not really knowing where to go. Sort of like when I’d first moved out to Japan. 

“Ah!” Mio suddenly gasped, “If it’s okay with you all, would you mind if we visited a shrine first?”

And with that, we were off to the Seimei Shrine, the one nearest to where we were dropped off in Kyoto. It was an old place, filled with many decorations I’m sure were quite old. Despite that, the place was very well looked after, with the Shinshoku taking diligent care of it. On top of that, despite the high number of people here, it was actually rather quiet. It’s not against the rules or anything to talk, but most prefer not to, so as to not break the concentration of those focused on prayer. As such, the only people who are talking here are...us.

“I don’t get it, Mio.” said Ritsu, casually holding her arms behind her head. “Why’d you wanna come this way first? We went to a shrine for New Years’, so why come back so soon?” 

“Is it about your weight loss again?” said Yui, giving Mio a pat on the back despite the thin ice she’d been standing on no doubt shattering like glass.

“It’s nothing like that, idiot!” Mio barked, her sentiment echoing throughout the entire shrine. Suddenly, many eyes were on our group in utter confusion and disbelief. Not exactly the best impression to make in a new setting. Mio, now utterly mortified by what she’d done, settled down to a state of forced calm. Her cheeks puffed up, as if she were holding in an urge to scream in embarrassment. “The reason I wanted to come here was because I wanted to offer up a new prayer for our club. With us now having seven members total, things are bound to get even more difficult.” she stated, turning towards the offering box that stood before us. “I just thought I’d get some peace of mind if we all made a prayer wishing for our success this year.”

“So it’s not about the weight?” asked Ritsu, whom I was unsure if she was teasing or not.

“I’ll smack you.” Mio threatened, causing Ritsu to retreat behind Mugi. “Let’s just make an offering and a prayer, then we’ll be on our way.”

“How much do we offer, though?” I asked, feeling my wallet tremble.

"The bigger the prayer, the bigger the offering has to be, maybe?" Ritsu thought, staring at the offering box with a look of slight contempt. 

"You can offer whatever amount you want." Mio clarified, causing me a sigh of relief. "It can be anything from a single Yen to your entire life savings. It doesn't even necessarily have to be money, just something material."

"Oh!" Yui gasped at a sudden realization, "I remember watching something about this on TV one time!" she said, quickly pulling out her wallet from her coat, followed by a 5 Yen coin from inside the wallet. "They said that 5 Yen is the best because it sounds the same as 'bond', so let's all do that!"

With five yens gathered by all of us, except for Mugi, who had to borrow one from Ritsu, we cast our offerings into the box.

“Alright,” Ritsu said, grabbing hold of the bell. “Let’s give this sucker a shake, pray, and get on outta here!”

“Wait, I wanna do it!” Mugi said, raising her hand, much to Mio and Ritsu’s confusion. “You did it when we went for New Years, so let me!”

“What does it matter who does it?” said Ritsu, whom, despite what she just said, started clinging onto the bell as if to say that this was her job and hers alone. “Don’t be so petty!” she said, sticking her tongue out.

“You guys can’t be serious.” I said, deadpan. I was too low-energy to really do anything about it. At this point, it’s just best to not get caught up in their gravitational pull and join their dumb act.

“Will you guys stop?” Mio protested, approaching the two and getting between them so as to present a compromise. “I’ll ring the bell, so stop your quarreling already.”

“Wait, I want to ring it, too!” said Yui, joining the fray to the surprise of everyone else. “I know, let’s play Rock-Paper-Scissors for it!” she said, balling up her fist and immediately cycling through each of the three choices for a usual round of RPS.

“We’re gonna be here all day...” I said, looking in disbelief as everyone else ended up agreeing to Yui’s childish terms. Some of the shrine’s other visitors were still giving us really uneasy looks too. The old folks especially weren’t keen on what we were doing, they probably thought ‘Is this what the new generation is like? Japan is doomed’ or something equally cynical. 

“...Paper, Scissors, Shoot!” the four said, throwing out their hands in the center of them. Somehow, they all threw out rock. “Tie! Go again!” they said, repeating the same process. This time, they all sent out paper, as if to anticipate that someone would send rock. "Tie! Go again!" they repeated, this time sending out scissors to anticipate paper. "Tie! Go again!" they again repeated, sending out rock to anticipate scissors. Do they not realize that they've been caught in some sort of endless RPS loop? I'd have at least expected Mio to take notice, but it's almost like reasonably smart people lose brain cells when in close proximity to the other club members. 

Well, I've had my fill of this utter lunacy. I guess I'll have to put a stop to this. They'll probably be angry with me, but that beats being stuck somewhere as boring as a shrine all day. "God, Buddha, or whoever runs this place. So sorry about this." I said, gripping the bell's rope and taking a deep breath. I gave it three clean shakes, the clanging echoing loudly in the air, even overpowering the four girls and their game. As the sound reached their ears, they turned to the bell in looks of both disbelief and betrayal. 

"Leo? What the hell, man?!" Ritsu barked, her eyes furious. 

"Le-Le, how could you…?" Yui looked, her eyes stuck somewhere between shock and sadness.

"Mmm…!" Mugi growled like a small puppy.

"I guess someone had to do it, but still…!" Mio said, pointedly showing a bit of outrage. I guess she wanted to shake the bell more than she showed it. Now I feel a little guilty, but…

"That's right, somebody did have to do it." I said, clearing my throat as I stood my ground. "I'm not the bad guy here, so don't act like it!" I stomped my foot, to everyone's surprise. I guess this side of me doesn't surface too often. Azusa was right about me only selectively showing some backbone… "So let's do what we came here to do and pray, alright?"

The girls silently approached the offerings box, and we all stood next to each other. I've only ever visited a shrine once before, during New Years when most people tend to go. It's thankfully quite a quick process, and better than getting your ear lectured off at a church confessional. 

We all clapped our hands twice and prayed, with Mio speaking our prayers aloud. "We pray for the safety and success for all of our club members in the coming years. Please watch over the following: Hirasawa Yui, Kotobuki Tsumugi, Tainaka Ritsu, Katnua Leo, Nakano Azusa, Yuki Inuko, and Akiyama Mio...Thank you." We gave two more claps and stopped praying.

"Ah, Yui…?" Mugi looked in concern at her friend, who was still deep in prayer for some reason.

"Hm…?" Yui said weakly, slowly opening her eyes and rubbing them. "Yes? What is it?" she looked to Mugi with a slight smile.

"Are you alright? You looked really concentrated." Mugi asked, holding onto her friend's shoulders and closely examining her face to spot any missed details.

"No, I was just sle-" Yui stopped herself mid-sentenced, suddenly flushed as if she were about to embarrass herself. "Oh, yes. You're right! I was just concentrating really hard!" she laughed, trying to play it off as her being silly. Well, she's obviously lying and was in the middle of sleeping. Judging by Mio and Ritsu's expressions, they weren't buying her act either. 

"Oh, well, try not to concentrate too hard!" said Mugi, wiping at Yui's evidently tired eyes. "You're looking kind of tired. So please try to relax a little more." said Mugi, who fell for Yui's act completely. Because of course she would.

"Man…" Ritsu gave a sigh, "Praying always stresses me out for some reason."

"Well, what's done is done." said Mio, smiling as her worries had finally been lifted. 

"You sure?" Ritsu gave a skeptical look, "You really don't wanna pray about that weight loss of yours?"

Suddenly going beet red, Mio would deliver a spectacular punch to Ritsu's head. We all watched in awe as she landed a critical hit. Ritsu was knocked out cold, prompting Mio to drag her completely limp body out of the premises. Honestly, I couldn't come up with a more ridiculous and fitting conclusion to our time spent at the shrine if I tried. By the time we'd hit the streets of the city once more, Ritsu had awoken, albeit with a comically large knot on her head.

"Why don't we hit up a tea shop next?" Ritsu suggested. "Isn't Kyoto's tea supposed to be really delicious or something?"

"Hm?" I looked to Ritsu with a bit of skepticism. Because Mugi practically spoils us with high-class teas and sweets during club time, we've all had our share of opinions on which taste the best. "How is tea in Kyoto any different from tea we have at home? Liquid is liquid."

"Be that as it may," Mio interjected. "The tea here is considered divine primarily due to Kyoto's rich history." she raised a finger, holding it out in front of us for us all to see as we continued to walk past various shops that lined the street. "When you take a sip of tea here, you're taking a sip of recipes and ideas passed down from countless generations. You're having a taste of Japan's culture in itself."

"That's a bit dramatic for tea, isn't it?" I said, feeling a slight bit of sweat roll down my face at Mio's rather intense explanation.

"Not in the least!" she passionately replied, causing me to slow inch away from her to gain some distance. "Let's head to one now. I'll show you what I mean!" 

As Mio dashed off to...somewhere, we followed behind, exchanging confused looks. Same old Mio, I guess.

We followed her to an old-looking teashop. The sign that had adorned the place was as old as the lady who sat at the register. The place's name was written entirely in kanji, and between that and how worn-out the sign already was, I can't hope to know what this place is even called.

"Couldn't pick something a little more modern?" asked Ritsu, looking around the small tea shop that felt more like it was being run right from the old lady's own house. "I feel like this place is gonna fall apart at any second."

"I think it's nice." said Mugi, ready to wander in as she removed her loafers and left them near the walk-off. "It's got a nice...hometown-y feeling to it."

"Well," I looked at the flickering light in the lamp hanging above us. Because of Ritsu's comment earlier, I suddenly got worried that it would come loose and land right on top of us. The eerie creak it was giving off wasn't helping things. "Mio did say she wanted us to understand the history of tea, or something like that...This place oughta do it, alright…"

Yui happily bobbed up and down as she approached the old lady at the register. "Excuse me, Granny, we'd like a table for five, please!" she said with a smile. Yui is quite fond of her own grandmother from all the stories she's told about her and how she constantly talks about how she wants to visit her, so maybe seeing this old lady gave her some nostalgic bearings. 

The old lady laid out a hand that led further into the restaurant. The place was quiet, mostly occupied by adults that dotted the small room, as well as two other students of Sakuragaoka that squirmed their way in here. I feel like I recognize those students from somewhere, but where might that be? Meh, maybe they're just passing faces I've familiarized myself with or something.

We took our seats on the pillows placed on the tatami floorings, and picked up the menus left on the wooden table we sat around. 

"...This is surprisingly cheap…!" Mugi said, looking down at the menu with wide eyes. She was right, for such an old and seemingly well-respected place, the prices were quite generous. I didn't spot anything on the menu over 700 Yen.

"Yes, yes." Mio gave a smile, Mugi's interest sparking her own. "People like the folks who run this shop don't make tea for the money, they do it for the love of the art."

"What does that even mean…?" Ritsu said with a lull, completely bemused by Mio's tangent.

"It means that the people who run this place have integrity." Mio folded her arms as she shut her eyes, not wanting to look at Ritsu's no-doubt annoying expression. "It means they're not like some people I know who are only interested in monetizing every little thing they do…"

"What does 'monetize' mean…?" Yui glanced between the two bickering subjects.

"Don't worry about it…" I said, resting my shoulder on the table. "Can we just get to ordering something, please?" I asked, slapping my hand against the menu to remind them why we came here.

"...This Chamomile stuff looks good…" Yui said, her tired eyes slowly going from right to left as she read the page.

"I really don't think that's such a good idea, Yui." I said, my mouth agape as she was about to order an actual sedative when she already seemed like she was barely keeping it together. Do the Japanese not drink that kind of tea, much? How could she not know what Chamomile's actual purpose is?

"Ahhh, let her order it." Ritsu interjected, that smug look on her face telling me she knows full well what will happen if Yui is to drink that. "This Field Trip is important for experiencing new things, right?"

"So do you just, like, enjoy seeing your own friends screw themselves over, or something?" I asked, looking at Ritsu with little disbelief. I've gotten to know her far too well to expect a different answer from her. 

"It's my favorite pastime, in fact." Ritsu replied without a hint of shame in her voice. To which I could only give a disapproving sigh.

"So what is everyone else getting?" I asked, wanting to not stay on the same topic for much longer, and because I hadn't decided for myself what I'd wanted quite yet.

"I'll have the Mugicha," said Mugi, with a big smile as if she had a lot more to say. "Because it sounds like Mugi-chan!"

"Two points." Ritsu replied, without missing a beat. Shooting down Mugi's admittedly horrible attempt at a joke with absolutely no remorse. Mugi could only give an awkward laugh in response. "I'll have the Matcha."

"I think I'll have the Genmaicha, personally." said Mio. 

"I'll have that too, then." I said, trusting Mio's judgement above everyone else's.

We ordered our teas, and got them before we could even blink. Is it any wonder this place is still standing after all these years? The service is top-notch. Heck, even the decor on the teacups looked worn after so many years of use. The slight steam emitting from the cups is strangely calming, and the smell of the various grains and herbs used for them is also more pronounced than normal. 

"Bottoms up." I said, taking the lead as I was the first to take a sip of my drink. As I took my sip and swallowed, I immediately sat the cup down on its saucer. Overwhelmed by the intense flavor, I found myself…

"He's crying, again…" Ritsu said, staring at me on the verge of laughter as food and drink alike forced tears out of me on the same day.

"Is it really that good?" Mugi asked, looking down at her tea and swiveling it back and forth to inspect it more closely. Finally, she took a sip, and she too found herself in utter tears.

"Now Mugi's crying?!" Mio looked in awe at the no-doubt absurd scene we were causing.

"I-It's like I'm drinking the past itself...That old lady raised these herbs with care…" Mugi tearfully said, hiccing as she tried to drink more of the substance.

"Right?! Right?!" I excitedly agreed as I tried to wipe the endless stream of tears coming out from my eyes.

"I'm kinda not sure if I want any now…" Ritsu said, giving her cup a light push away from her as she eyed it with caution. "Not if it's gonna make me act like that, at least!"

"Well, seeing as we already paid for it, it wouldn't hurt for you to at least try a little." Mio said, picking up her drink and letting the steam touch her face. "I'll drink at the same time as you. How's that sound?"

"Mmm…" Ritsu hummed, scanning the small room quickly, probably searching for an out. She sighs, unable to find one. "I thought only folks in college were supposed to drink like this…" she picked up her teacup, still suspicious of its contents. As if it were laced with poison or something.

Mio and Ritsu exchanged nods, before downing the drinks simultaneously. As expected, their reactions were the same as Mugi and I. Tears coming down endlessly from both of them, with all of us except Yui now crying messes. 

"I-I don't get it…" Ritsu said, constantly wiping at her face and trying to play her crying off as cool. "How does tea do this to me…?"

"I-I told you all, didn't I…?" Mio said, a slight smile of pride forming from the overwhelming sea of emotion she'd been cast in.

It took some time, but we all eventually calmed down and were able to enjoy the tea without making a scene. All of us, except for…

"Hey, uh, Yui…?" Mio looked at the girl with concern.

"Hm…?" Yui looked at Mio, her eyes barely able to stay open as she had visible difficulty lifting her head just to face who she was addressing. "Yeah, Mio?"

"You haven't touched your tea, yet." she said, moving the teacup closer to Yui as a reminder. Yui seemed a little surprised by this gesture, almost like she'd completely forgotten where she even was. "You should at least have some before it gets cold."

"Oh…!" she said, looking at the still-simmering cup sitting. "Yeah, you're right!"

"Urk…!" I looked on, completely helpless as I could do nothing to stop the collision course that had already been put in motion. I wanted to look away from the ensuing disaster, but at the same time, I simply couldn't.

Yui gave the tea a sip, and the room fell silent. "Ah, this is really good…!" she said, looking down at the tea with a smile. She isn't crying like the rest of us did. This girl is super resilient, huh? 

"Well, that's good…" I let out a sigh of relief as I watched a still-standing Yui. Though just as quickly as I was ready to stop worrying, a loud thud came from the table, and Yui's upper body was sprawled on it. "Oh, good grief…!"

"Yui?!" Mio crawled over to her friend, shaking at her body that was, in her eyes, looking rather lifeless. "Hey?! What's wrong?! Talk to me, please!"

As Mio pleaded for Yui to answer her, Ritsu could only snicker at her over-dramatic friend's reactions.

"What's wrong with her…? Was it something in the tea, maybe?!" Mugi began wildly speculating. "Ah, don't tell me she had an allergic reaction! We need to call a hospital…!"

"Wait, wait, wait!" I shouted, profusely swinging my arms about to catch the attention of our two over-reactors. "Calm down, both of you! Yui did have a reaction to the tea, but it was just the tea doing its job! She's been tired since we got to Kyoto, and the Chamomile just did its job in making her go to sleep faster." I explained, pointing at her face. As the two had settled down, the sound of a slight snore emitted from Yui, giving them a sigh of relief. "See?"

"So then, what now?" Mio said, poking at Yui in vain attempt to wake her up. "We can't just leave her like this…"

"Guess we don't have much choice but to drag her back ourselves…We'll have to take her to the hotel." Ritsu folded her arms, coming up with a game plan. "Leo, you carry her there."

"I decline." I responded immediately, my face heating up at such an idea.

"Oh, why not?" Ritsu's expression became catty as she approached me further. "You want a chance to carry around your soon-to-be, don't you?"

"Will you stop with that? I'm not doing it." I said with a frown. I have carried Yui once in the past, but that was when we were more or less by our lonesome anyway. I think I'd just want to die if anyone from school saw me doing that again, and I worry about the sorts of rumors that would be spread about Yui herself if I were to do such a thing. There was also one other problem with what Ritsu was suggesting… "Besides, I'm staying at a different hotel, anyway."

"Hm? Why is that?" asked Mugi in confusion.

"Well, parents might end up throwing a fit if they found out that there was a guy staying at the same hotel as their daughters who was the same age as them." I explained, somewhat embarrassed. "So it's just a precaution. An insulting one, but a precaution nonetheless." I pointed at Ritsu. "So one of you will have to carry her back."

"Well, if that's how it is…" Ritsu looked to the others, seeking another. "Well, Miss Panty Stripes, you're up!"

"Are you looking for another beating…?" Mio asked coldly as her face reddened, her fist shaking as her blood boiled with a red-hot intent to kill.

"Oh, I thought I recognized those voices!" a new voice interjected. I found myself short on breath as Nodoka had suddenly emerged on the scene. "You guys came out here too…?"

Oh! Those two students from earlier, now I remember them! They're from the Student Council with Nodoka! Drat, I wish I'd have noticed sooner. I'd have hightailed it out of here if I knew there was a chance she'd show up. Well, at least Yui's temporarily not part of the equation. So it can't get too awkward for now.

"Um, what happened to Yui…?" Nodoka asked, casually pointing at her friend sprawled out on the table. I guess this is a semi-regular for her, then. 

"She got a little too excited about today…" Mugi laughed as she pat Yui on the back, who in turn mumbled something in her sleep. "...and she kind of petered out. We were just about to take her to the hotel so she can rest."

"Oh, Yui…" Nodoka sighed, resting her palm against her forehead as she looked down in what seemed to be a mix of exasperation and embarrassment. "And I called her last night to tell her to go to sleep early…" she explained. Her look then morphed back into her typical confident smile. "Well, if you guys have got her covered, then there's no need for me to worry. Oh, but since I've got you all here…"

She pushed up her glasses. "Would you mind if I had a chat with Leo?" she said, the way my name exited her mouth brought about a paralyzing chill.

Oh no.

The girls all looked back at me with the exact same look upon every one of their faces. They had the exact same idea. I'm about to be left to the wolf, aren't I?

"Sounds good to me." Ritsu said, lifting the still limp Yui off the ground with surprising ease and hoisting her onto her back. "We'll get out of your hair, now."

"Wait," I tried to bargain, watching helplessly "Don't leave me here! I'll even carry her for you!" I reached my hand out towards the door, watching as they gave one final look that told me 'This is for your own good.' before leaving entirely. "Come back!" I said, with no response. I turned around to Nodoka in utter defeat as she carried a victorious smile as she beckoned me to come take a seat. You're a dangerous opponent. Was this what you were planning the whole time?  
I sighed, accepting that there was no way out. Well, what's the worst that can happen…?

Taking my seat, Nodoka sat across from me with that same ceaseless smile. I know full well why she's cornered me like this, but taking the lead, I thought it best to ask anyway. "So, uh, what did you want to talk about?" I asked, scratching at my hair.

"You're quite smart, Leo." she replied. Egging me on with a compliment won't work, but she knows that already. "So I won't beat around the bush. Why have you still not asked Yui out yet? It's been a few months now, so surely you've worked up some courage."

"Um, none in the slightest, actually." I sheepishly admitted. "But since we're asking questions, I have one for you."

"Alright," Nodoka's pressure began to emit suddenly. I swallowed my fear as I had to press on. I would need to if I wanted to gain any ground on her. "What is it?"

"Have...you ever fallen in love before?" I asked. Despite the sensitive question, Nodoka did not look the least bit shaken. What is this girl made of?

"Yes, actually." she said, without missing a beat. For someone so cunning, that answer was so straightforward that she'd caught me completely off-guard. Talk about an utter counterattack. 

"R-Really?" I stuttered, trying to regain my composure. Alright, how's this, then? "...With who? Someone in middle school…?"

"...With Yui." she said. Sheesh, another sensitive answer and not even so much as a blush? How does she do it…? Wait a second…

"WHAT?!"

"Why are you so surprised?" asked Nodoka. Completely calmly, I'll add. 

"I-I-It's just…" I stuttered, unsure of where to go from here. "...You never mentioned this before. Wouldn't that make us, like, rivals or something…? Why are you so intent on getting us together, then?"

"Well, as you already know, Yui and I have been close friends ever since we were toddlers." she said, a slight glint in her eye as she began to reminisce. "She is, simply put, the single most charming person I've ever met. I'm sure you feel the same."

"Well…" I started, nearly choking as I didn't want to admit it aloud. "...Yeah."

"As for why I'm not going after her and leaving you in my stead, I guess it's because…" Nodoka stopped to think for a moment. "...she seems different around you, almost."

"Wha…?" I was left confused by such an unsatisfyingly vague answer.

"I know Yui better than anyone outside of her own family." she said, pressing her hand against her heart. "Trust me, I notice the small things around her. When she's around you, she's different from how she normally is. She seems...happier, almost." she said, looking at my now blushing face with a smile. With me? Why? "I'm not one to jump the gun, normally. But that's the conclusion I've come to. Ask Ui when you see her again. I'm sure she thinks the same."

"That still doesn't really explain much…So then, what do I do…?" I asked, giving a vague question in return for her previously vague answer.

"You ask a lot of questions, you know." Nodoka said promptly. Maybe she's just not showing it, but she's probably nearly out of patience for me spinning my wheels like this. "I'll let you go for now, but remember this, at least." she said, taking a deep breath. "If you've got these kinds of feelings, act on them. You can't spend an eternity trying to work these things out internally. Sometimes, you've just got to run up and take hold of what it is you want most."

Not giving me any time to even process what she just said, Nodoka rose from her seat. "I'll see you around, alright?" she said with a surprisingly warm smile. Sure, she's kinda pushy about this. But I guess she really is just looking out for me at the end of the day. We exchanged waves, and Nodoka left after. With nothing better to do as the rest of the club had already retired to their hotel for the rest of the day, I went to my own to call it a day as well.

It was somewhat more out of the way, but I don’t doubt that it was more quiet than the hotel the girls had been staying at. Though it was a lot more lonely too. Ugh, I really have gotten too accustomed to their noise. As I laid down on the room's futon and watched the ceiling fan spin slowly and endlessly, all that was on my mind was Nodoka's words on constant repeat.

Run up and take hold of what I want most, huh…? "Easier said than done, you know." I thought aloud. Though something struck me as strange. Nodoka never asked about why I'm so hesitant, I wonder why? Was she just being considerate of me, or did she just not think to ask. Maybe if she did, I'd be able to understand myself a little better.

Well, I guess the root of it is that I'm not accustomed to any of this, really. Having friends, being in love, having a place of belonging, even. Sure, my friends might accept me for who I am, but I still have such a hard time being honest about how I’m feeling deep down. Maybe I’ve changed less than I thought, and I’m just afraid that I’ll end up relapsing into who I once was. Maybe that’s why I don’t wanna take any risks and end up permanently wrecking what I have. But I know this already. I’ve known this for a long time, now. Yet still, taking that confident step forward is a lot harder than it is in my head. 

Everyone says that Yui likes me, and I like her back, obviously. So if I were to tell how I felt, she’d accept me and that would be the end of it, right? But if she doesn’t...where do I even go from there? Would we still even be friends afterwards? In one fell swoop, my relationships and my life in Japan are suddenly in serious jeopardy, and that’s what got me the most terrified right now. I know I should have more faith in Yui, if she were to turn me down, the worst that would happen is that we’d all probably still be friends, and maybe Ritsu would make fun of me for it every once in a while. I know that, I really do. But, man…

The words ‘what if’ are haunting ones…


	20. Three Days, Two Nights (2)

What does it even mean to have affection for someone? Is it showing it physically? Perhaps through gifts and money? Does one even need to show love to have it? The conclusion I've arrived at is that there is no wrong answer to that, as we all have different ways of going about such a complicated topic. With that being said, how do   
show affection to the one I like?

"Hey! Earth to Leo!" Ritsu said, knocking me out of my long-winded thoughts as she normally did, bringing me back to the far less complicated reality I was currently in. As I rested my eyes on her, her look of confusion turned into one of immediate curiosity. "You think this is boring too, right?"

Right, my current reality is supposed to be me having fun, I think. At this moment, the Light Music Club's second-years and I are on our second day of a class trip in Kyoto. Just as yesterday, we're allowed to roam the limited zones of the city in the time we're given before the sun sets. Right now, we find ourselves in the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, as per Mio's suggestion. Supposedly, it's a must-see tourist site when you come out to Kyoto, but nobody but us is even around right now. I liked it this way. It was quiet, with nothing but the sounds of birds and various other small animals and insects doing their day-to-day living in earnest.

"I think it's nice." I replied, staring up at the green bamboo which practically touched the sky with how high it went up. That's one of the strange things about Kyoto; Japan in general, really. Quiet, naturalistic pockets of space like these can exist among the loud and busy streets of the cities. "Beats being surrounded by a bunch of folks I don't know that well, at least."

"See?" Mio pointed at me with a prideful face. "Leo understands it. Not everything needs to be 'fun' to be enriching." she said with satisfaction. Though frankly, I wouldn't say this is particularly enriching either.

The sudden flash of a camera would draw my attention to the two people behind me, Yui and Mugi. Yui was the one taking pictures, as per Ui's request yesterday.

Mugi seemed fascinated at the forest's innermost depths. "Hey, Yui, do you think we'll find any pandas out here?" asked Mugi, her eyes alight as they frantically searched between the tall and never-ending bamboo.

"Why look?" she said, turning her camera towards me. "We've got one right here!" I gave an utterly confused look as the camera's flash suddenly went off, blinding me momentarily.

"I-I thought I said not to call me a panda again…" I said, trying to look away from the two in embarrassment. Despite wanting to look away, my eyes were drawn to Yui. She looked into her camera, and her eyes seemed to hold a prolonged longing for the picture she was looking at. They sparkled in a way that I’ve never seen before. This couldn’t possibly be about me, could it...? No, no. It's conceited of me to even think such a thing. 

Man, this is too complicated. Urgh, my head’s getting all scrambled just thinking about it.

"Leo, you feeling okay? Your face looks a little pale..." asked Mio, kneeling over at my face with a look of concern. "Do you want to take a break? We can find a place to rest, if you'd like."

"...Yeah." I said, digging my shoe into the dirt. My brain felt like it was continually having rubber bands wrapped around it. Focusing on two things at once for much longer wouldn't end well for me. 

Heeding Mio's suggestion, we headed for the nearest resting point. It was a small clearing that shot off from Arashiyama's main road, coming equipped with a few vending machines and some benches that we all took a load off on.

"That's better…" I lulled as I took a sip of bottled green tea from the vending machine. I felt my body and mind awash in the natural herbs, calming me down somewhat. "Though I wish this weren't so pricey." I said, glaring daggers at the 600 Yen price tags found all throughout the machine's glass window.

"Tourist traps, I tell ya…" Ritsu groaned in agreement. "They're all the same. Nickel and diming you like there's no tomorrow." she continued, shaking her fist in a way that said 'Why I oughta!' with teenage rambunctiousness. 

"Oh, you two…" Mio sighed, supporting her forehead with her hand as she leaned on the table. "Must you always be so cynical about these things…?" she asked with familial annoyance. "Anyway, thank you for covering our drinks, Mugi. We owe you."

"Oh, it's quite okay." said Mugi with a chipper smile, her eyes sparkling as they would when she experienced something new. "I've always heard stories about how places like airports and tourist attractions always have things that cost so much more than they would normally." she continued, placing her finger to her chin as she further divulged in her experiences. "I must say, being ripped off is quite a strange sensation…!"

"A-Ahaha…" Mio gave distorted laughter. I don't think anyone would know how to even respond to that.

"Okay then…" Ritsu said, her eyes trailing off from us and instead focusing on the various bugs and animals that lay still in the tall sea of green bamboo. "On a completely different and less weird note, I have a question for you guys."

All eyes were on Ritsu as we watched her swivel her bottle in a circle, creating a vortex of red liquid within the plastic containment. "Don't you guys think this whole thing is kinda boring, too?"

"Arashiyama? I think it's neat…!" said Yui, raising her hand as if she were still in the classroom. Though she'd likely be far less attentive if we actually were there. "We just need to find us some wild pandas!"

"I don't think there are pandas out here, Yui." I said, rhythmically tapping my fingers against the table in boredom. "I'm pretty sure most tourists would freak out if they saw them wandering around like that, not be amazed."

"Oh, boo…!" Yui said, her arm slinking down in sadness. "Well, at least we've still got you, Le-Le." she said with a bittersweet smile. I feel like I'm being looked at like some kind of consolation prize.

"K-Knock that off, already." I said, turning away from her. Looking at Yui only made my headache stir a bit more, but not in the way that she typically did when she would cause me grief.

"No, no! Not just Arashiyama." Ritsu suddenly said, getting us back on track. "This whole trip! Kyoto! Aren't you all a little...I dunno, underwhelmed?" she said, her raised arms slowly falling back down to the table.

"I don't really understand what you're getting at, Ritsu." said a confused Mio. "What's so underwhelming about it…?"

"Um, uh…" Ritsu stumbled, her eyes wandering around the area as if looking for a visual to her out-of-nowhere opinion. Her eyes firmly rested on the table as she happened upon a comparison. "Like right now, actually! Everyone, what are we doing at this specific point in time?"

"Uhhh…" Yui brought her hand to her chin as she thought hard about the obvious answer in front of her. "Drinking tea and relaxing, right…?" 

"Exactly!" Ritsu shouted, suddenly rocketing from her seat. "That's exactly right!"

"...And…?" I asked, now sprawled out on the table as I found myself getting bored.

"This is exactly the same thing we do in the clubroom!" Ritsu said, picking up her tea and displaying it as one would with an item on an infomercial. "Different scenery, sure. But it's the same stuff at the end of the day! We're high school students, yet we've already become boring old people!"

Her words hit Mio and Mugi like cinder blocks straight to the head. They were in a daze, with the words "Old...Boring…" on repeat as the light of life slowly extinguished from their eyes. I feel a need to do something, but what's a guy to even do in a situation like this? Outside of my incredibly limited contact with my grandfather and Mr. Sakurai, I hardly know any old people. 

"Ah, my grandma's pretty fun, y'know!" Yui said, completely unfazed by Ritsu's words. "She always tells me lots of fun stories and compliments me lots whenever I go to see her." she said, rising from her seat with a smile that was meant to reassure her sullen friends. "So even if we are like old people, we can be fun, too!" she said, giving a thumbs-up as her unwittingly cruel statement sent Mugi and Mio further down their spiral of depression.

"Old...old...old…" the pair now repeated, myself and Ritsu could only watch with slightly creeped looks as Yui looked at the pair as if they'd gotten some incredibly warped form of euphoria.

"Oh, Yui…" I said, powerless as I gave only a discontent sigh as Yui's actions probably kept us benched for at least a couple of hours. At least, I thought that would be the case. But as my words reached Yui's eardrums, something would soon pluck at my hair. "A passing bird?" I said, holding my hand to my hair, as I did that, three consecutive drops of water would fall on my head. "Oh, come on…"

"Well, rain doesn't happen   
the clubroom, at any rate!" Ritsu said, covering herself with her school bag as the light downpour slowly intensified. 

With the cool splashes of water landing on them, Mugi and Mio were knocked out of their depressive trances. Their eyes widened as the world around them and the clothes they were wearing suddenly became deluged.

"We need to find some shelter!" Mio said, standing up as she too covered her head with her bag. 

"Ah, which way did we come in from?!" Mugi said, her eyes tracing the road as the rain dutifully erased our footsteps from the path when we needed them most.

"Agh, I don't wanna get sick cuz of the rain AGAIN!" Ritsu stomped her foot in frustration, wetting her loafers. "We can't sit around till we figure this out. We just gotta find some place to hull up in for a while!" she said, her feet vibrating, either because they were chilly or because she was ready to jet off. "But if gut instinct tells me anything…" she said, taking a stretch. "We came from the left!"

"I'm pretty sure we came from the right, Ritsu." I said, pointing to the correct way we came from. "Look at where we were sitting from, see?"

"Hmm, no, that's definitely wrong." said Ritsu. "Left way is the right way!"

"Now I'm just getting confused…" Mio said, holding up a hand to her wetted forehead. "Look, let's just split up and call each other when we know which way for sure to go. I'll go with Ritsu to make sure she doesn't get into trouble. Mugi? Yui?"

"I'll go with Le-Le!" Yui said, holding her hand up to the darkened sky as the clouds above suddenly roared with the flash of lightning. None of us were spooked by the thundering, oddly. But still, if this were a slasher film, this would definitely be a giant death flag for Yui.

Mugi stared at us all for a moment, eyes darting between us. She gave a nod. "I see. I see." she said to herself.

"Uh, Mugi…?" asked Mio, moving in to place a hand on the unresponsive girl's shoulder, only to be startled by Mugi suddenly turning to her with oddly serious eyes. Whatever she's about to say, if I know Mugi, she's got some kind of ulterior motive.

"Um, I'll go with you and Ritsu!" Mugi shouted, dragging Mio by the wrist and running off before the poor girl even had time to so much as blink. Soon out of view, Ritsu would follow behind as she yelled for the two of them to wait up.

"Guess we oughta get a move on, too." I turned to Yui, who seemed a little too excited to tag along. Urgh, that knot in my stomach is back. "Come on. Let's go."

"Lead the way, Le-Le!" she said, patting my back. With that, we were on our way to somewhere that's hopefully a little more dry. So long, Arashiyama.

"Huh, wait a sec…" I said, looking all around us and we were back on the busy streets of the city. As the rain scattered onto the streets and the umbrellas of the people who walked us by, the street signs before me didn't seem to ring any bells. "I guess Ritsu was right…" I said, pulling out my flip phone. "Best give her a call, then...Ugh, I can already hear her gloating."

Before I could even dial the first number, however, the winds suddenly picked up and became more ferocious. People and various stray animals alike scattered to find temporary safety among the uneasy wracking of the phone polls and houses.

"Ah, Le-Le! Can you see that?! The storm's picked up!" Yui said, her mouth agog as she pointed towards the now completely blackened clouds with surprisingly little worry.

"Uh, I can   
that, Yui!" I said, barely able to keep my eyes open against the barrage of raindrops hitting my face. 

"What do we do, Le-Le?!" Yui yelled, trying to stay audible against the intense gales that nearly drowned her out. She was flapping her arms wildly, like one of the many desperate birds in the sky searching for safety.

"Uh…! Um…!" I repeated idiotically, my neck contorting as I searched the nearby area for some kind of clue as to what to do. Even if we hull up somewhere to rest, we definitely still run the risk of getting sick with how utterly soaked our clothes are. "Ah…!" I gasped, my eyes resting on a familiar sight.

It was an old antique shop that was getting absolutely smashed by this storm, I recall it because I'd briefly caught a glimpse of it on my way to my hotel yesterday. Which means…"Hey, Yui!" I alerted the girl.

"Huh?! Y-Yes?!" she asked, startled.

"Are you ready to run?! My hotel's not far from here, just follow me and we'll be there in no time!"

"Y-Yeah! Keep on leading, Le-Le!"

We both took deep breaths. I wiped my eyes and made sure my shoes were on tight. Finally, my legs shifted into motion. "Goooo!!" I yelled, with Yui following behind me with equal gusto. 

We ran and ran, looking like a pair of drowned alley cats seeking a box to hide in. I kept yelling as our feet splashed throughout the puddles of water that only seemed to grow larger and larger the further we went on. The yelling was only tiring me out even faster, but I felt it was also the only thing giving me the strength to fight back against the biting gale that seemed hellbent on withholding our progress.

"Go! Go! Le-Le, go! Ahaha!" Yui cheered me on as she kept pace with me. She wore an incongruous smile on her face as the condition of her uniform only seemed to worsen.

"Why do you seem to be enjoying this?!"

Soon enough, with enough running and perseverance, we made it to the hotel. As we were drenched from head-to-toe, we got the looks one would expect from the hotel's other guests as we made our way up to my room.

We walked into my small room, and I shut the door behind us, making sure there were no prying eyes that would get the wrong idea. As I shut the door, my legs finally gave out from exhaustion, and my butt crashed onto the flooring. "I have water in places that water shouldn't be…" I said, tugging at a sleeve and watching drops of water fly about.

"So this is where you're staying, Le-Le…" said Yui, browsing the totally ordinary room as if it were a museum of some kind. "It's so...plain! Fits you like a glove!"

"Are you being mean on purpose?" I squinted at the girl, watching her leave a trail of water behind on the flooring. "Whatever. First thing's first, let's get changed into some dryer clothes." I pointed at my half-open duffel bag that I'd left lying on the floor. "I didn't bring much with me, but go ahead and borrow whatever suits your fancy. In the meantime, I'll put our clothes through the wash and dryer."

Kneeling over, Yui would peek inside the bag before pulling the zipper down. "Hm...Hm…" she gave a suspicious hum, moving her wet hair about so her eyes could better inspect the bag's contents. 

"Uh...you won't find anything weird in there, you know." I said, watching as the girl began to wildly rummage through my bag. Shampoo, liquid soap, and other various things were tossed into the air and onto the floor until she finally pulled out something she seemed to be satisfied with. "...My pajamas?"

With a wide smile, Yui turned around the baby blue pajamas, likely wondering how it would fit on her. She especially seemed concerned about the chest area, comparing its width to her own, causing my face to heat up at the thought. "It's so...cute!" Yui concluded. "So unlike what you'd normally wear, Le-Le!" she said, tugging the silk that the pajamas were made of.

Too true that I'm rather frugal when it comes to pretty much anything and everything, but Yui being so upfront about it makes me feel frustrated, somehow. "I-I like to sleep as comfortably as possible! Something wrong with that?"

"Would you mind if I wore this?" she said, ignoring my question as she often did. 

"Yeah, that's fine." I pointed to the door placed behind her. "You can take a shower and change in there. I'll get changed out here and throw our stuff in the wash."

"Alrighty!" Yui said, excitedly grabbing my pajamas and heading into the bathroom. As quickly as she shut the door, she re-opened it, peeking her head out with an oddly hardened face. "You better not try and peek, okay?"

Looking at her in the moment she said that made me feel like an absolute degenerate, despite no such thought crossing my mind at any point. I looked down at the various items she threw onto the floor to distract me momentarily. "A-Are you insane, or something?!" was the only thing I could blurt out as my brain teetered on the edge of blue-screening.

Yui gave a hearty laugh, and I immediately caught on to what was happening. She's just teasing me again. "You should see the look on your face right now!" she said, her face softening as a wide smile took her initially serious expression's place. "I was just joking, you know!"

"I-I knew that…" I said, picking up my spare set of clothes and shooing Yui away into the bathroom so I wouldn't have to face her in further embarrassment.

Quickly, I got changed into my basic white tee and sweatpants, and went to the hotel's laundry room to place our clothes in the washing machine. As soon as that was done, I made no detours and headed straight back to my room to see if Yui had gotten into any sort of trouble while I was gone.

As I cracked the door open, I was treated to a sight that, for a moment, made me content with life if I were to be struck down at this very moment.

"Ah, welcome back, Le-Le!" Yui turned to me as she stood by the room's center table, drying her hair off with one of the hotel's white towels. As she said she would, she put on my pajamas. As I was taller than her, my pajamas naturally had a sag to them as she wore them, with the sleeves reaching past her hands and the shirt being buttoned all the way up to cover her-

Urk! Why am I ogling her?! Get it together, Leo!

"Le-Le, something wrong? Do I look weird in this or something?" Yui said, tugging at the shirt's collar, further bringing my shameful eyes back to her chest. Yui's chest is small, so there isn't a whole lot to see. Yet still, I felt a need to keep my distance. Being an adolescent male can be a total inconvenience sometimes. 

But in truth, she looked really "...cute…"

I covered my godforsaken mouth as soon as that barely-audible word slipped out, but that only piqued Yui's interest, causing her to approach me with curiosity. Stop. I'm begging you not to look at me with those eyes. "Can you repeat that, Le-Le?" she asked. My back was figuratively and literally against the wall as Yui was so close that I could practically feel her breathe on me. My eyes wandered. They had to be anywhere but on her, lest I risk completely losing my mind in such a scenario. 

"I-I said...you look cute! Extremely cute, even!" I shouted in desperation. In such a situation, only the honest truth could give me some ground. 

As my shout cleared the room's air, I began to choke on my own embarrassment. What the hell did I say that for…? "Um, Yui…?" I looked down at the unresponsive girl, whose eyes took shelter behind her bangs. Yui's so used to being called cute by everybody, so what's so different now? ...Wait, could it be because of the setting? Oh no! What if she thinks I'm trying to seduce her and get something out of her by bringing her here?! "Y-Yui, I'm sor-"

Suddenly, her face lifted up, and our eyes met once more. Her entire face was a deep shade of red, like she'd been out in the summer sun all day. But it's not summer, and there isn't so much as a speck of sunlight seeping through the storm clouds outside. So...she's embarrassed by something? But I only called her cute... She's even still got a small smile on her face despite all that blushing. "Le-Le…" she said softly, her hands reaching up to my face.

"Your face is all red." she whispered, grabbing my cheeks and giving them a light tug as she stuck her tongue out at me.

"Yours is, too." I said, poking at her forehead so she would give me a smidge of breathing room. She felt like she was practically boiling.

"Well, that's just because you-"

The sound of my phone's vibration thumping and clattering amidst the equally loud sound of my ringtone silenced the two of us. Our attention was brought to the table, where my phone sat upon. Walking over to it, I promptly opened it and checked the caller ID. "Oh, it's Mio. I guess she's worried about us."

Enabling the speaker so Yui could hear, I answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, where are you guys right now? Hopefully not outside!"

Yui and I exchanged quick glances. Yui gave a nod, indicating that she would take the lead here. "We're at Le-Le's hotel right now. I'm wearing his pajamas too!" she said proudly, causing me to gag a bit.

"Wait, you what?!" said Mio, yelling so loudly that my phone practically quaked.

"You guys are moving a little fast!" Ritsu's voice suddenly emerged.

"Wow, you two are so bold!" Mugi's voice joined the fray, adding to the confusion.

With those incredibly embarrassing implications under my skin, I turned the speaker off and placed the phone next to my ear. "What is wrong with you people?!" I whispered to them, much to Yui's confusion. "Look, Yui's only wearing my clothes because hers got soaked when we were running here. So get those unsavory thoughts out of your damn skulls, got it?!"

Mio gave a sigh of relief. "Right, sorry. That makes sense. You're not that kind of guy at the end of the day."

"I dunno, Leo." Ritsu snickered, probably wearing that same stupid grin she always wore. "Bringing a high school girl to your room   
she's wearing your clothes because hers got dirty? Sounds pretty...naughty to me."

"...Oh!" gasped Mugi, her imagination now probably running wild.

I sighed, there's no convincing Ritsu of anything otherwise. Well, I can still get my revenge. "...Well, I'm gonna hang up now. I'll bring Yui back to your hotel as soon as the storm clears up and our clothes are dry."

"Also, do me a favor and sock Ritsu for me, please." I added, the last thing I heard on Mio's end as the line cut was the sound of Ritsu struggling to escape Mio's iron grasp. "Ugh, those guys can be unbelievable sometimes." I said, turning to Yui who was equally dumbfounded. "Well, we're gonna be stuck here until our clothes are dry and the storm lets up. We may as well find something to pass the time with."

As if already having a gameplan mapped out in her head, Yui immediately took a seat on the floor and swiped the TV Remote from off the table. The small television that sat on a stand near the corner of the room powered on, she then turned to me with a smile, patting the spot next to her. "Let's see if anything good is on!"

I took my seat about a foot apart from where Yui wanted me to sit. Though this only prompted her to take action and move closer to me instead. I don't get it, why is she so aggressive all of a sudden? Is she trying to get back at me for something I did…? Anyway, she quickly flipped through the TV channels like some kind of pro. Maybe I'll ask Ui if she does this sort of thing often. We blitzed past infomercials, showtunes, old westerns, and various black-and-white shows in the blink of an eye.

"Aw, where's the anime?" Yui whined, not letting up on the channel buttons on the remote. "This is all stuff for adults!"

"I don't think anime gets broadcast at this time of day, does it?" I rested my elbows on the table as I watched the changing colors of the television bounce onto Yui's brown eyes. "It's not morning or evening, and it isn't the weekend. Most kids would be in school right now, so most target audiences for anime would end up missing them anyway."

"What?! That's terrible!" Yui looked at me in disbelief, her finger still clicking away at the remote despite her eyes being off the TV. "Sick kids across Japan must be so bored!"

I turned to face the TV and gave a sigh, watching as the brief images said hello and goodbye to me. "That's just how it is, I guess." As I took in the images, one incredibly familiar image struck me as Yui passed. "Ah, wait! Go back to that one!" 

"Uh, okay!" Yui said, flipping through the channels in reverse.

"Right there! That one!" I shouted as she once again landed on the familiar image. Four boys hiking on train tracks unlocked very vivid memories of my childhood self watching this film on repeat and nearly wearing out the cassette it was printed on. "Oh man, it's been a long time since I've seen this…"

"Oh, the train scene! This one's a classic!" I said, as my focus was now completely on the small box in front of me as it projected a large part of my childhood. The movie even retained its English audio, with Japanese subtitles to match.

"Eh? Le-Le? You've seen this before?" Yui said, looking between me and the television as she pieced two and two together. "What is this?"

"This is Stand By Me!" I turned to her, she seemed shocked by my enthusiasm, though I suppose I'm not normally like this. "I've watched this movie so many times, I practically memorized all the dialogue!"

Yui gave an enthused hum, watching as Vern and Chris narrowly escape the train's deathly clutches with their lives. 

"Hehe, gets me every time." I said, watching as the boys recouped and continued their journey to find the dead body. Wanting to see Yui's reaction to that legendary scene, I turned to her. As it would have it, she was staring at me the entire time with a warm face, as if the movie were my reactions and not what was being shown on the TV screen. A slight hint of smugness grew in her as our eyes made contact. "W-What is it…? Something on my face, or something…?"

Yui's head shook lightly. "Mm-mm. I've just never seen you like this before, Le-Le." 

"Huh?" I felt myself cool down at her observation. "What do you mean?"

"So...cheerful!" she laughed, moving in closer to me. She was practically leaning on me, yet doing so put a sudden weight on my legs, keeping me shackled to the same spot. "I wanna see you like that more often, Le-Le! That honest and fun-loving side of you is really something!"

"...I-I'm like this all the time..." I said, looking away from her as I would have taken no pleasure in lying directly to her face.

Yui paused for a few moments, before she grabbed my shirt and tugged at it, forcing me to face her once more. Her eyes were melancholic, contrasting the typically one-sided nature of her emotional states. She seems...stuck, unsure of herself. "...Hey, Le-Le…" she said, her voice shaking. "Do you...hate being with all of us? With me?"

My eyes widened, shocked that she would even ask something remotely close to that. "Wh-What? What's gotten into you, all of a sudden? Why would you ask something like that?" I asked, grabbing onto her shoulders and giving her a light shake. Had she gone defective or something?

"W-Well, it's just today…" Yui looked at me with a weak expression. "...and lately, really...you've looked so distant. Like...like you're on another planet or something…!" Yui said, clutching her chest as if her heart was about to implode. "So...I just wanted to know...Did I do something wrong? Is this my fault?"

I loosened my grip on Yui's shoulder, causing her to let out a sigh of relief. "It's not your fault. It's nobody's but my own…" I began, staring at the flooring. "You've all done nothing but give me love, and yet, I…"

"Hey," Yui muttered softly, now placing her hands on my shoulders. Her hands were small, yet her grip felt far more stable than my own. "Remember what I told you, Le-Le? I said that I wanted to help you if something was wrong." She lightly tapped my chin, once again forcing me to confront her, as well as my worries. "Will you please tell me what's wrong?"

I felt the entire world around me pause. The heavy rain that tapped against the window, the thundering clouds, and even the TV right in front of us. I couldn't hear anything or focus on anything other than her. Breathe in, breathe out. "...Yeah, alright."

Placing my hands on the table, I tapped to a random rhythm so I wouldn't think too hard about my worries. "See, lately, I've been feeling these strange thoughts…I know what they are now, and what it could mean if I act on them, but…" Yui looked on with an absentminded smile, unknowing that she is partly the cause of such worries. "If I act on them, and things go poorly...I feel like I'll lose everything, even if I know I won't."

Yui gave a nod, "I see. So you feel...stuck, right? You don't know what to do?"

"That's exactly right." I nodded. "I know that...if I do act, it'll definitely work out. But thinking about what'll happen if it doesn't is unbearable."

Yui looked confused, "Unbearable...how?"

"Well," my field of view wandered to nowhere in particular. "It's just...I like where I am right now. I like myself more than ever before, I love the people I get to be with every day, and all the little moments we get to share together." My hands balled up tightly. "Mio, Ritsu, Mugi, Azusa, Inuko...and you, Yui. I love being able to live life with you all the way I do now."

"We love you too, Le-Le!" Yui giggled, her expression becoming more serious right after. "But...what gets you so scared when you think about us?"

"It's the thought of losing you all because of something I did." I admitted, shaking my head in frustration. "It keeps me in place. I can't move forward because I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I were to lose you all. I'd just become the same uncertain, lonely boy I was before I first met you all." I chuckled lightly at my words. "But I guess I'm still at least one of those things, huh?"

"Le-Le, that's not true, you know." Yui shook her head. "No matter what happens, you're still you. That's enough for all of us to still love you."

"I know, but-" 

"Le-Le, what would it take for you to act on how you feel?" Yui said, scooching nearer to me. Her warm aura helped heat me up in this cold room. "I'll help you, however I can!"

"What I need...huh?" I stared at the roof, a little dumbfounded at how Yui's simple logic always made me think so hard about things. "I guess I just want some...confirmation, I think? Something that tells me that the way I feel isn't anything I need to hold back."

"Confirmation? Like what…?"

"W-well," I felt myself suddenly sweating. Technically, Yui is the only one who could fulfill this confirmation. But I can't exactly just   
her that. "It's...complicated. You see--"

Never in my life have I felt so relieved to hear an alarm go off. I grabbed my phone from my pocket, discovering that it was 6PM. More time had passed than I thought. "...I'll go put our clothes in the dryer."

"Oh…" Yui sighed, a little disappointed. "Okay."

Unlike before, I took my time in getting our clothes clean. I put them in the dryer and let its whirring clear my thoughts. This entire day has been so weird, and Yui's been acting even weirder. I suppose I've not been acting any better, though. If even Yui can see through the front I'm putting up, then my facade must be especially weak. 

Eventually, I came back upstairs to my room. It seemed like Yui had occupied herself by watching more TV. On the screen there was a superhero, a man dressed mostly in red and black who wore a helmet styled after a beetle. He was fighting alongside other similarly dressed characters who wore different colors.

Yui was so absorbed in the show that she had only noticed my presence when I took a seat next to her. "You know, Yui, you don't look like the type who'd be so into tokusatsu." I said, watching as the masked heroes bravely fought against a wave of green alien men with tentacles.

"Ah, keep this a secret from everyone!" she said, suddenly panicked as she waved her hands about. Clearing her throat, her voice suddenly became much more serious. "You see, Le-Le, the truth is that I'm actually a Masked Rider myself." she said, with strange boisterousness. "The one you know as Yui Hirasawa is just a facade for my true face!"

Suddenly standing up, she looked to the TV as a perfectly ordinary looking boy readied to join the fray. "Henshin!" Yui said in perfect sync with the boy on the television, striking the same pose as the boy. Yui didn't transform, but was happy to make some 'noises' with her mouth and play pretend as the boy on the screen attached some kind of device to his belt, transforming into one of the Masked Riders.

As soon as the light show on screen was over, Yui returned to her seat. "Just kidding!" she said, sticking her tongue out. "Being a Masked Rider sounds like a lot of work!"

I gave a few claps at her performance. "Wow. You had me fooled there for a second." I folded my arms as our attention returned to the action behind the TV's glass. "Don't worry, though. Your secret's safe with me."

Yui gave a solemn bow. "Thanks, Partner. I don't think I could handle all the attention if my secret got out." Our eyes met once again, and Yui's acting face had slowly cracked away as she started to laugh just as I did.

Some time passed, and we watched more episodes of Yui's show. I hate to admit it, but I got way more into it than I thought I would. Tokusatsu feels a lot less childish when you're grown up and can appreciate the nuance of the characters and storyline. The effects work is also surprisingly solid, while still being practical Er, ahem, where was I?

With our clothes dry and the storm passed, we headed on our way to Yui's hotel. It was now dark out, so I decided to accompany her the whole way there, just to be on the safe side.

As we walked on the sidewalk, a passing car would rip through a puddle on the street. 

"That was a lot of fun, Le-Le! We should do that again sometime!" Yui said, watching the quiet street lights gently flicker in the night. "Why don't you come over to my house? We can watch the whole series together! Golden Week is coming up, after all!"

"Sure, sure." I nodded, listening closely to her words. "That sounds good."

Yui would suddenly let out a heavy breath, an air of discontentedness surrounding her. "Still...I kinda wish I could have stayed the whole night."

"You know we'd both get in a lot of trouble if that were to happen." I shook my head, stepping through a puddle on the ground. "Besides, wouldn't you prefer to be with everyone? I'm pretty boring just by myself, you know."

"Hmm, well, that's true…" Yui said, without a moment's notice. I felt my heart get caved in a little by her words.

"Jeez, you were supposed to say that I'm not boring, there!" I laughed.

"Haha...sorry." Yui giggled. "Still...It's not like I don't want to be with everyone else, but…"

Yui stopped in her tracks, standing perfectly still as she looked at me with a totally neutral expression. No smile. No frown. 

"Is something wrong, Yui…?" I asked.

"Le-Le, this is gonna sound kinda weird, but…" her neutral expression turned into one of ambition, a strange sort of drive that I seldom see in Yui. "I would prefer to have you to myself."

Before I could even process Yui's words, she began to walk as I found myself standing in place. I was completely dumbfounded.

"Wait…" I said, catching up to her. "Could...could you repeat that? I swear, I think I just heard you wrong."

"Well, when it rained earlier…" Yui faced me with a smile. "I was kinda glad we all separated like that…Weird, huh?"

"Um…" I stupidly let out. Urgh, I'm completely unprepared for this! She's caught me off guard entirely! What's a guy even meant to respond to this with?!

"Not...really. I...kinda felt the same, actually. I think…" I said, turning my attention to the passing cars on the street as I pocketed my hands.

"Really?" Yui said, her voice bubbly as she moved in closer to me. 

"Yeah, but next time...Let's do something like this just because we want to, okay?" I said, letting my brain go on autopilot as I could not manually parse the words I'd wanted to. "Not because some dumb storm forces us to be that way."

"Ah…!" Yui gasped, once again stopping in place. Though this time, she would run up to me and grab me by the end of my sleeve. "Le-Le...did you…!"

"Just ask for a date?"

My heart flatlined and my brain melted as my face utterly went up in flames. What the   
did I just do? We're not at that stage yet. Not even close, even. "Um…! Uh…!"

"Y-You've got it wrong…! It's just...if you wanted to hang out, or something! I-I dunno!"

Despite my protests, Yui's heinously big smile hadn't gone down in the slightest. The light of her hotel's lobby would soon come into view from beyond its glass doors, giving me my out.

"A-Anyway, we're here now." giving her a light shove forward as if to tell her. "I'll see you tomorrow, Yui." 

As I began to desperately make my way back, Yui would once again grab my sleeve, locking me in place. "Wait, Le-Le."

"Before you left, I wanted to say thanks for today." she said earnestly, causing me to turn towards her in silence. I know by now that Yui isn't the type to let one walk away from her unrewarded if she feels they are deserving of one. So I couldn't exactly tell her no, despite how much I'd wanted to leave so I could cool off. "Please, close your eyes for a second. Oh, and don't open them till I say so, okay?"

I nodded silently and followed her instructions. I couldn't see or parse what she was going to do as black now veiled my eyes. What's this thanks gonna be, I wonder? A hug? But I think she'd just give me one of those without warning. A flick to forehead? No, that's too mean spirited for her. Some other prank, well, maybe-

What...just happened? Something warm and moist just pressed up against my cheek all of a sudden. It was so fast that I made no reaction. And even with my eyes closed, I can feel Yui's hair press up against my face, too. She couldn't have just done that, could she?

"You can open your eyes again."

Slowly, I opened my eyes to Yui, standing in front of me. She looked perfectly normal, bearing the same disposition she always did. Nothing was out of the ordinary in spite of what I assume she just did. Even the street lights that illuminated her face revealed no missing details about her to me.

"Was that enough…'confirmation' for you?" she asked. That's what this is about? Could she have known how I felt the whole time?

I couldn't say anything, much less move. It was as if her lips were laced with some kind of fast-acting paralytic poison that numbed my entire body.

"Good night, Le-Le." she said, giving a small wave. "I'll be waiting for that date, okay?"

Just like that, Yui walked into her hotel as if nothing of importance happened. I could only feel my limbs again only after she was out of my sight.

"So that...was definitely not a dream, then." I said, putting a hand up to my cheek. It was still wet. So that was really a kiss, then.

"Ahahaha…" I laughed at myself as my own once-scrambled thoughts suddenly became crystal clear to me. "I really am an idiot."

"Though...Jeez, what have you done, Yui?" I stomped the ground, now the single happiest and most frustrated guy under the stars of Kyoto.

"Now I know I can't run away from this anymore."


End file.
